Wednesday, October 25, 2006

(Update, Monday, April 02, 2007: see here for thoughts about the cover art for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.)

Basically, this all came to me in rush last November, while we crawled westbound through the hellish construction traffic on 1-80/90 just south of Lake Michigan on our way home from visiting Melissa's parents for Thanksgiving. We'd seen Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fireat the beginning of our vacation, which led me to spend the rest of the holiday break rereading the fourth book (to confirm my memory of various things), which then led to rereading the fifth, and then the sixth, which I'd argued about at great length the previous summer. And so there I was, driving the minivan slowly through two-lane traffic, surrounded by huge trucks, Alison screaming, about 5 miles (and 45 minutes) to go until the next exit, and suddenly, whoosh!--I had the basic plot of book seven in my head. By the time we finally escaped the bad traffic, I was well beyond guessing what seemed likely to happen in the concluding volume of the Harry Potter saga; I was practically writing fanfic. Since then, I've tried to write it all down a couple of times, and I've changed my mind about a few things, but for the most part I've left it alone. But now, since some have demanded it, here it is, in all its geeky glory. With any luck, we'll find out how wrong I am next July.

First, a few long predictions that describe what I think some of the basic set-ups and themes of Book 7 will be; then, some shorter, more specific predictions. And no, I have no guess as to what the title of the book will be.

1. Harry returns to Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.J.K. Rowling has said that she's written her last Quidditch match, so clearly our protagonist--who states at the end of HBP that he's through with Hogwarts anyway--is not going to come back to Hogwarts as an ordinary student. But the whole series has been built around Harry's years at Hogwarts (that's even a subtitle for the books); and moreover, can we really believe that Hermione won't return to finish her education? (And that Ron will follow her?) This would make it difficult for their pledge to stick with Harry wherever he goes in pursuit of the Horcruxes to be fulfilled. Rowling's solution will set all this straight: Harry will go back to Hogwarts, but as a teacher. He has to! No matter how successful the erstwhile members of the Order of the Phoenix (see below) are at keeping the whole story from coming out, the truth of the matter is that the wizarding world will see Hogwarts as a place where a famed Head can be killed by one of his own teachers. There will be enormous pressure to simply close the school, from the Board of Governors and from some of faculty as well, to say nothing of all the parents who will keep their children away. What could possibly keep it going? Why, the "Chosen One," of course. If it was widely known that the "boy who lived," the young and brilliant wizard Harry Potter, now all grown up and ready to teach and defend Hogwarts' students, was going to be on hand, I suspect Hogwarts will be kept open by wide proclamation. This will keep Harry, Ron, and Hermione together, continue the legacy of Dumbledore's Army, allow us to see Harry developing other aspects of his personality (interacting with other teachers as peers, for one; facing down internal challenges from Slytherin House, for another), enable Harry to have access to information that is only going to be available through and around Hogwarts anyway (again, see below), and not least, inject a little bit of light-heartedness (Harry learning how to deal with new students and grading papers) into what is bound to be a pretty dark book.

But is Harry going to come up with this idea on his own? I don't think so.

2. Percy Weasley's redemption.

No, I don't imagine that Percy is going to change overnight; not only would that make little sense, but I really don't think Rowling is interested in doing that much with his character either. But somehow, I just think there's something more to be done with him, and getting Harry to Hogwarts just might be it. Think about it this way: from the beginning, Percy has had an entirely different perspective on both magic and magical accomplishment than both his family and Albus Dumbledore. In the first book, he's calling Dumbledore crazy--a genius, but crazy. Everything he has said or written since has confirmed that opinion. But he's never disliked Hogwarts; on the contrary, he adores Hogwarts, as that was his first step into the wider wizarding world. He won't want it shut down. And it's going to occur to him that, if convincing Harry to become a Hogwarts teacher will keep it open...well, there'd be some advantages to that. We're going to see Harry in the first part of Book 7 going through a serious re-evaluation of Dumbledore--not of his affection or admiration of Dumbledore, but of his opinion of him (once more, see below). Percy will be able to approach Harry on those terms: not necessarily as a tool of the Ministry of Magic, but as someone whose suspicions of Dumbledore's methods have been at least partially born out, someone who nonetheless loves Hogwarts and wants what's best for it. Pitching this route to Harry will go along with Rowling's plan to get Harry to recognize that Dumbledore's death will be understood differently by different people: that maybe Percy and Rufus Scrimgeour, while not entirely to be trusted, have a reason for seeing things the way they do. Harry will be persuaded by Percy's suggestion (which will be given early in the book; perhaps at the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour?), and the result will be softening between Harry, the Weasley family, and their son. Which will be good, because the clear lines distinguishing those who are, like Harry, a "Dumbledore man," and those who are not, are going to get confused.

3. The Order of the Phoenix breaks up.

The more that I think about this, the more I believe that is an obvious one to predict. Simply put, some members of the Order of the Phoenix--Hagrid, probably Arthur and Molley Weasley, perhaps Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin--are going to be absolutely certain that, whatever Dumbledore had planned with or known about Snape, his death at Snape's hand is no reason not to continue to trust his basic plans for fighting Voldemort. But others--Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody, maybe even Minerva McGonagall--are going to have their doubts. Why didn't Dumbledore ever fully explain why he trusted Snape? Why was he so impish and secretive and solitary? Maybe his generous attitude towards even his enemies wasn't the best policy? Maybe he was just a little bit, well, out of touch? And so you're going to see the Order fall apart; Grimmauld Place will be left to Harry, and even the good guys will find themselves doubting their path. The breaking up of Harry's most immediate adult support system will, along with the aforementioned choice that I believe Percy will present him with, force him to grow and change, to recognize and respect--as an adult must--the numerous shades of grey even amongst those on the good side on any conflict. In fact, I suspect that Harry's struggles will themselves contribute to this break up, because--even while he is affected and challenged by the various interpretations of the events around Dumbledore's death which the members of the Order of the Phoenix come to--he still won't share with them his Horcrux quest, keeping that to himself as a duty that, perhaps, we will come to see as his fate to accomplish, since Dumbledore, for whatever reason, simply could not do it. Again, more growing up, more learning how hard it is to figure out how to do the right things for the right reason. (Rowling has said we will learn a great deal more about Voldemort in the final book; I suspect one of the things we will learn, at the same time Harry learns it, is all about Dumbledore's and the original Order's efforts to defeat Voldemort during the First War, and about Dumbledore's successes and failures as a leader in that war, failures that Harry will need to learn from.)

Okay, now some more particular bits.

4. Harry visits Godric's Hollow, learns that Peter Pettigrew was there the night his parents were killed, and more.

It has to have been Peter who went with Voldemort to kill James and Lily; unless I misunderstand how being a "Secret-Keeper" works (as demonstrated in the beginning of OotP), then Peter could not have simply told Voldemort the whereabouts he had been entrusted with--he would have had to physically direct Voldemort to the Potters' hideout. So Peter was there, and he heard what happened; he was the one who presumably moved Voldemort's shattered body out of the wreckage (thinking he was dead? probably...), as well as grabbing James's wand and invisibility cloak. Perhaps he thought to hide himself from everyone who was going to come after him now that the Dark Lord was out of the picture? I think we'll learn that he ran to Snape, whom he thought would be in despair over the apparent death of the Dark Lord, but who instead went into a rage at hearing of Lily's death, took the cloak from him gave it to Dumbledore, along with all the news that Peter would have given him; this is how Dumbledore came to now what was actually said that night before the murder of James and Lilly. Peter flees for his life, and we know what becomes of him.

How will Harry learn all this? I don't know. Best guess is that he talks to a neighbor, an elderly man or woman delighted to meet the son of the poor couple who lived in Godric's Hollow so long ago, and who remembers the comings and goings around the house that Halloween night. He or she will also be able to tell Harry something about his mother's genealogy and her eye color (and Harry's too), though what all that will mean, I have no guess.

5. Harry breaks into Azkaban.

Why? Because Mundungus Fletcher is in there; Rowling told us at the end HBP that he'd been locked up because of a botched robbery. Harry is going to figure out what most of Potter fandom has already guessed--that the locket found in Grimmauld Place that could not be opened was the locket containing a Horcrux which Regulus Black, who turned against Lord Voldemort once he realized what the Dark Lord had planned, stole before the Death Eaters could track him down and kill him. How Harry will figure this out I don't know, but once he figures it out, he'll have only one option: talk to Mundungus, and find out what he knows. But the Ministry of Magic is hardly going to allow Harry to go into Azkaban, especially when he won't tell them what information he's trying to find. So he'll have to break in (with help--Ron and Hermione, certainly, maybe Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom too) and go get him, which means that Rowling will finally be able to give her readers an inside look of the infamous prison. With any luck, this will turn out to be a major battle in the book (and I hope that partially because I think it could look fantastic in the eventual film!). Perhaps there will be others involved in the break-in as well, with different agendas...remember that Lucius Malfoy is in Azkaban too, and there are people who may want to get at him, his son not being the last in line there.

6. Harry confronts Alberforth Dumbledore.Who knows that the bartender at the Hog's Head is Albus Dumbledore's brother, Alberforth? My guess is, almost no one--the teachers who were involved in the Order of the Phoenix, presumably, and perhaps a couple of others. Harry will find out when Mundungus tells him after they break him out of Azkaban, and confesses that he sold the locket back to Alberforth. Back? Yes--because Alberforth was with Regulus Black when Black stole the Horcrux-cursed locket in the first place. Look at the trap which Rowling gave us in the cave where the Horcrux was hidden; no one could have managed to take the locket without help, as Dumbledore needed Harry's. So, somehow Regulus convinced Alberforth to go with him; Alberforth helped him through the ordeal, they placed the fake locket there together, and made their escape. Did they fall out later? Was Alberforth present when Regulus was killed, and became so frightened for his life that he withdrew from the Order, and kept to himself thereafter? Beats me. But I believe it will be Alberforth that will give Harry the two essential bits of information that the plot will turn upon (though Harry's secret visit to the Headmistress's office--you know he's going to manage at least one such visit, perhaps with Fawkes's help--in order to talk to Dumbledore's portrait will be vital as well). First, Alberforth will be able to hazard a guess as to where the remaining Horcruxes are. (Why? Because Regulus told him? Maybe Regulus managed to snoop around, do some research, discover some secrets--maybe there is more to Regulus and his relationship with his brother Sirius that remains to be revealed? Kreacher is the only one who can say...) Second--and this will be the big reveal--he'll know the real truth about Snape.

7. The real truth about Snape.

He loved Lily from afar, watching her excel from across the room in Potions, but he hated her too, for being popular and decent and a Mudblood like himself, and thus he hated himself for loving her. He was a confused and wretched young man, and chose to become ever more hateful and self-pitying for that reason. He signed up with Voldemort. But he was both appalled by and contemptuous of what the Dark Lord was planning. He overheard the prophecy, all of it. But he only told Voldemort part of it. Why? Part of him must have been able to anticipate Dumbledore's hastily hatched plan, a plan to drive Voldemort into marking as his chosen enemy the boy who Dumbledore knew would have--unlike Neville for some mysterious reason--the power or lineage or luck to someday bring the Dark Lord down. But part of Snape must have also just been delighted at the prospect of James dead and Lilly miserable (a person like him probably could never imagine that a mother would sacrifice her life for a mere baby). The accounts that Dumbledore has given Harry about the night Snape overheard Sybill Trelawney's prophecy, and Snape's subsequent behavior, have not been entirely true: it will be revealed that while Snape did pass information about Voldemort to Dumbledore and the Order, he was always playing both sides, seeing himself as equally justified in treating both as enemies. When Voldemort returned, so did Snape's wretchedness, his hatred of Dumbledore for obliging him to use his unique talents in such a miserable way, and his equal hatred of Voldemort, for having killed his beloved Lily. Placed in an impossible situation by the events at the end of HBP, he murdered a man who trusted him to follow through on his promises and fled; by so doing, he continued his balancing act, only by extracting the maximum pain possible on all while doing so. (No, I am NOT changing my opinion that Snape is a bad guy. Snape is a bad guy, and Dumbledore is dead, and that's that. But I've been helped to realize that Snape is, in fact, a deeply conflicted and self-loathing bad guy, a tragic bad guy, a bad guy who sees himself as a martyr to both sides, forced to play a role everywhere he turns, a bad guy who, when he saw a "solution" to the crisis on the tower that would allow him to commit a little murder along the way, did not shy away.)

Okay, now a few housecleaning bits.

8. Who will be who at Hogwarts?

McGonagall is now the Headmistress of Hogwarts; who will be the new assistant head? To everyone's surprise, Minerva will choose Horace Slughorn. He will also be appointed Head of Slytherin House, and will find himself faced with a far more demanding task than he faced last time he held that post: dealing with students and parents who, as the stories of Snape and Draco Malfoy become known, will be viciously divided between denial, shame, and a desire for outright revolt. I think we'll find that Slughorn has far more decency and strength in him than he might even suspect. And along the way, Rowling will be able to finally give us a glimpse of Slytherin from the inside-out (Harry's being a teacher at Hogwarts will make this possible too). It's been too easy for Slytherins to always show up in the books simply as heavies, villains, buffoons, or all three; in Slughorn, Rowling has for the first time given us a vaguely admirable Slytherin character, and I suspect that she'll make use of it.

Someone will also have to take Minerva's place as Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor House. For the latter, by huge popular acclaim, she will choose Hagrid. For the former, by similarly huge acclaim on the part of at least half of Hogwarts's population, she will choose Viktor Krum (who already demonstrated enormous talent in transfiguration magic way back in GoF). What house will Krum be associated with? My guess is, again, Slytherin. Not only has that been foretold given the whole style of Krum's education at Durmstrang, but it'll make the ensuing fireworks as Ron, Hermione, and Harry negotiate student-teacher-lover-friend relationships all the more interesting, as well as providing an important aid to Slughorn as he attempts to overhaul Slytherin House before the final battle with Voldemort (which I am convinced will take place at Hogwarts--heck, maybe we'll even see the Chamber of Secrets opened again!).

Mr. or Mrs. Granger. This is the one which reveal just how bloody-minded J.K. Rowling can be. Why would the Death Eaters target Hermione's parents? Easy--because they can. Harry has lost everyone close to him, save his Hogwarts friends; death will no longer trouble him. The Weasleys are too well protected. But to kill (or perhaps just drive insane through the Cruciatus Curse) one of Hermione's parents...well, this is not the sort thing our scholarship girl is well-prepared for. It'll devastate her, make her blame herself, and thus doubt herself, and end up being of little help to Harry, at least for a time. Take out Hermione by going after her family, her vulnerable spot, and you remove one of Harry's greatest supports, and possibly remove Ron as well (what if he's forced to choose between sticking with Harry and being with Hermione when she needs him?).

Luna Lovegood. C'mon, you know it's going to happen, no matter how much we don't want it to. Is there any character that Rowling has given us to who is more at peace with the prospect of dying, who is less likely to be too afraid to sacrifice herself should that moment come? I don't think so. For years, I thought Neville was a marked man, but now I think otherwise; it will be Luna who, at some crisis moment in the book, will see clearly what has to be done and will do it, fully aware of the cost to herself. For a Ravenclaw, she is decidedly non-rational, which means she won't go down trying to think her way through whatever impossible situation she and her friends may find themselves in; she'll just embrace it. And moreover, I think Harry will realize this, and will have to at some point make a choice that turns on Luna's fearlessness. Neville, in his heart of hearts, may never forgive Harry for this, even if he does understand why it will have been necessary, and even why Luna was capable of choosing to die freely.

Lucius Malfoy. And you know what...I think Draco will be the one to do the deed. Not because he's on Harry's side, but because his dad will have put Lord Voldemort before his own family, and Draco has absorbed his father's lessons and pride too well: never let someone else take charge. Draco would happily follow Voldemort, but he will not stand for being played by him, for being his servant. Having been forced into playing Voldemort's hired killer once, he won't do it again. No, if Draco unintentionally helps out Harry by dealing with the Death Eaters, including his dad, it will because it serves his agenda, not our hero's.

Peter Pettigrew. In this case, Dumbledore will be proved completely correct: when the moment comes, Peter will not be able to witness a repeat of what he observed 17 years earlier, especially not in the case of the boy who saved his life. Peter will save Harry's life, perhaps while giving him the key to a remaining--or the final--Horcrux, or perhaps even in the final battle with Voldemort. And he'll pay for that act with his own.

Severus Snape. Hating Voldemort, hating Harry, and most of all hating himself, Snape will spin webs, lie and deceive, work towards the destruction of everyone and feed his own self-loathing, with everything he says and does. In the end, it'll catch up to him: everyone will know the truth, and his every plan will be revealed, probably including some that extend all the way back to the moment he first heard the prophecy of Voldemort's doom that day at the Hog's Head. What will be left, then, but for Snape to take his own life? He'll bring some cavern ceiling down on himself, probably taking out some of Harry's enemies or destroying the last Horcrux along the way, and cursing both Harry and himself while doing so. Snape's end will be, I think, the penultimate point of Book 7; after it, what could be left but the final showdown? The suicide of Snape, and Harry's exposure to such a deadly mix of yearning and spite, will be the greatest lesson he learns from all his years at Hogwarts; he will never love or forgive Snape, but he will come to understand him, and that will be enough.

Minerva McGonagall. If I'm right, and the final battle takes place at Hogwarts, then its Headmistress will fight to the end, and pay a deadly price for it. Before she goes down, I hope Rowling shows us what a true master of transfiguration can do.

Lord Voldemort. Um, yeah, he's going to die. Good will triumph and all that.

10. And in the end?Lupin and Tonks will marry, as will Bill and Fleur. I suspect there will be a scene in Book 7 where Bill comes to terms with his lycanthropy, not overcoming it entirely but definitely keeping it in check, and Lupin will be key here. Perhaps Fenrir Greyback will try to pull Bill over to the "dark side," maybe even by pretending to offer himself as an occasion for Bill to let his wolfish bloodlust take over, but Lupin will get him to choose restraint, even if that means Fenrir gets away. Anyway, these two couples are going to stay together and stay close.

Fred and George, meanwhile, will become a couple of the richest wizards in Britain, eventually opening up branches of their joke shop all around the world.

Draco Malfoy will not change his spots, but neither will he be dragged down like many other Slytherins and pure-bloods when Voldemort is finally destroyed. He'll inherit the full Malfoy estate, maybe disown his own mother or at least keep her on a short leash, spread money around like it grows on trees (since he'll have even more once he marries into the equally wealthy, pure-blood Parkinson clan), successfully hide his "youthful indiscretions" and his hatred of Harry Potter and all he will have accomplished, and find himself ending up one of the most admired and feared men in the wizarding world: in the eyes of the public, he'll be considered one of those intimidating, "old-school" aristocrats (no one will say "pure blood" any more, but everyone will know what you mean) who didn't go bad. He won't ever sully himself with politics, but I expect to see him pulling a lot of strings behind the scenes in the end. If it wasn't for all the practical jokes the Weasley twins keep pulling on him (and which he can never prove their responsibility for), his life would be pretty good.

Horace Slughorn will become the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, and will be credited with having managed to unite the school, bringing Slytherin House back into the fold with the other three houses, at the moment of the school's greatest crisis. His favorable reputation will cover up for a lot of his subsequent abuses of his position, but overall he won't be considered a bad Head, especially since, once Rufus Scrimgeour retires, Slughorn will find a near-perfect personality match in the newest Minister of Magic, who also will happen to be the youngest Minister in history--Percy Weasley.

Neville Longbottom will go on to become the Herbology teacher at Hogwarts. He'll be beloved by his students and praised by his peers, though he'll never take the lead in anything. On the contrary, we'll see him puttering along as the years go by, a confirmed old bachelor, cheering lustily for Gryffindor at Quidditch matches, forgetting names and being something of a lovable stick-in-the-mud, always waiting for the end of the day, when he can return to his quarters, put on a kettle of tea, sit down in his chair, and enjoy another evening of talk with his very best friend in all the world--the ghost of Luna Lovegood. (Perhaps she will have taken the Grey Lady's place as the Ravenclaw House ghost.)

For Hermione and Ron, the future holds naught but love, marriage, children, accomplishment, praise, honors, domesticity, travel, and peace, despite the lurking presence of Malfoy out there. I think it is inevitable that Book 7 will introduce a real change in how the wizarding world views and interacts with Muggles and other races; Dumbledore implied such several times. Hermione, no doubt, will take the lead in articulating this new, more open and humble wizarding society, through her books and lectures and workshops and activism. Ron will mind the kids, teach chess lessons, and be perfectly happy.

Ginny will leave Britain in sadness and look for a new life elsewhere, perhaps in America, perhaps even changing her name. A sequel series, eventually? We can only hope.

And Harry? Well...I only listed seven of my eight predicted deaths up above, didn't I? Remember what happened to Frodo at the end of the Lord of the Rings? There you go.

128 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Beautiful, and very likely true. I still think we may have some partial redemption of Snape's character in the offing, but your scenario could be happen and be true to the books in a way that the Snape-was-all-bad-all-along scenario could not.

What I like most about this is that you've revised your views on what Harry needs to become the true hero in Book 7. Earlier, you said that Dumbledore *had* to be wrong about Snape for Harry to come into his own as a hero. Here, you seem to say that its enough that Dumbledore isn't around, that he cant' help Harry, and that Harry has to figure out what to do on his own. I think this is enough.

And you're absolutely right about Harry. He may not die, but he has to go into a twilight of some kind. He simply has to be permanently, badly injured physically, or psychically, or spiritually in the binal confrontation with Voldemort. This is especially true if he is in part a horcrux.

oh boy oh boy oh boy. I'll be back -- in about a month? -- with comments. But two brief notes:

1) I'm inclined to think that the role you assign to Peter Pettigrew is more likely to be played by Snape, because of Snape's centrality to the whole series. But it seems certain that Pettigrew will have to pay his debt to Harry somehow .

2) About Harry's end: in my review of Book 6, I wrote, "I do not think that Joanne Rowling wants to say that adulthood consists in foregoing all delight, all leisure and playfulness, and that young people had better get used to it. Rather, she is showing that there are times when some people, at least, must forego such pleasures so that they may be retained, or regained, by others. And it is at this point that the comparisons between Rowling’s books and The Lord of the Rings — comparisons that I have tended to dismiss — begin to ring true. Reading the last pages of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I found myself hearing in my head some of the last words Frodo utters to Sam: 'I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them.' Harry has indeed given up many things: all the delights of Joanne Rowling’s imaginative world that I have mentioned, and many more. We are left to wonder whether he must give them up permanently, or whether, at some point, his quest will be complete and he will remain whole enough to reclaim them." As we move closer to Book 7, I am more and more inclined to agree with Russell that indeed he must give up those good things permanently.

One more quickie: I think you're right about Luna going peacefully and willingly to her death, but that would then make it impossible for her to be a ghost, would it not? -- given how people become ghosts in this imaginary world. Which in turn reminds me that that feature of Rowling's world will -- hasn't Rowling said so? -- prove to be significant somehow. But she has also said that Dumbledore is gone, period. So will someone return and make a difference in the outcome of the story? Sirius, perhaps?

Yeah, back again already. I find many of these speculations compelling, Russell, but I have one major concern about your overall design: I think it underrates the threat to the co-protagonist of the series. I refer to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That is, just as I think that Harry must be driven to the greatest extremity for the tension of the story to be maintained, so too must Hogwarts. It is hard for me to imagine it functioning in the circumstances with which Book 6 ends, and I don’t think your Percy scenario provides a strong enough counter to those circumstances. I think Hogwarts will be closed, and that, in the end, our most concrete image of Harry’s achievement in defeating Voldemort will be the re-opening of the school, perhaps with a different organizational structure. (Might the houses be abolished?) I expect it will be closely guarded during its closure, with every magical protection the Ministry of Magic can confer to keep anyone from getting into it. However, Harry will need to get back into the school, probably for several reasons. For one thing, in HBP Rowling calls our attention to the fact that Harry can’t get back to the Room of Requirement to retrieve the Prince’s book that he hid there, and I think it likely that that book still has secrets to reveal, perhaps about Lily Evans. (Of course, this could happen under your scenario as well.) How then will Harry get in? By using the same Vanishing Cabinets that Draco used -- the Death Eaters don’t know that anyone else is aware of this trick. I think Rowling is likely to make much of Hogwarts as a shell of its former self, lifeless and silent. Perhaps even the Ghosts will be gone, though I suspect that Hagrid will still be living in his cabin and moping about in the Forbidden Forest. This sober image would set up the great resurrection of Hogwarts at the end of the book, which will be much more powerful if the school has been closed for a year. I think your scenario leaves Hogwarts too much as it was; it does not sufficiently acknowledge just how much damage Voldemort is doing to the most basic institutions of wizarding life. Those institutions will have to be completely broken before they can be renewed -- and, not incidentally, I would be stunned if Hermione doesn’t play precisely the role in that renewal that you assign to her.

"Your scenario could happen and be true to the books in a way that the Snape-was-all-bad-all-along scenario could not."

I can still remember the awesome rush I felt when I came to the crux of HBP; I think I lept out of my chair. I was convinced that Rowling had fooled us all; that she had given us a bad guy, and led us to believe that there had to be more to his story, when in fact...there wasn't! Brilliant! But my long arguments with others way back then helped me realize it can't be that simple. While I'm still doubtful that Snape will be "redeemed" (sure, that's a nice moral message...but so is Lewis's from The Great Divorce, where we learn that ultimately you have to make a choice one way or another), I do agree now that "all-bad-all-along" just doesn't work. Snape has chosen evil, and as is so often the case he's chosen it in the midst of (false? needless?) despair and wretchedness. Snape will be the tragic character whose ultimate crime will be his refusal to be redeemed, or to have been redeemed, by Dumbledore and Harry...and that refusal has its own dignity, something that Harry will have to appreciate, I think, before the end.

"I'm inclined to think that the role you assign to Peter Pettigrew is more likely to be played by Snape, because of Snape's centrality to the whole series."

True, but simply in terms of the timeline--the passing of the Secret, the retrieval of James's cloak, the arrival of Sirius and Hagrid, Dumbledore's subsequent intimate know of the events of that night, etc.--I don't see how that would work. Maybe I'm missing something though.

"I think you're right about Luna going peacefully and willingly to her death, but that would then make it impossible for her to be a ghost, would it not?"

Good point! But then, can someone simply choose to become a ghost? If so, why didn't Sirius so choose? He seems like a likely candidate for wanting to stick around. If Rowling has said something about ghosts, I've missed it; maybe someone who comments here can dig it up. Remember that Luna seemed to know something about what exists behind the Veil of Mysteries...hmmm. Ok, I still think Luna is going to die, but her death may have more significance to the story than simply being a tragedy that Harry and Neville are going to have to grow through.

"Just as I think that Harry must be driven to the greatest extremity for the tension of the story to be maintained, so too must Hogwarts. It is hard for me to imagine it functioning in the circumstances with which Book 6 ends, and I don’t think your Percy scenario provides a strong enough counter to those circumstances. I think Hogwarts will be closed, and that, in the end, our most concrete image of Harry’s achievement in defeating Voldemort will be the re-opening of the school, perhaps with a different organizational structure."

Now that is a really interesting idea, Jacob. Very appealing both as a plot device and as a motiff for the whole book. But I resist simply because it would put so many interesting and important characters on the sidelines. If Hogwarts was closed through the whole book, where and when would Neville, or Minerva McGonagall, or Horace Slughorn (give me more Horace! I love this guy!), or Viktor Krum (whom Rowling as said will return), evern come into the story? No, as attractive as your idea is, I'm going to have to disagree; plot-wise, Rowling needs a place where her heroes can find these people, and interact with them as necessary.

I'm still not convinced Dumbledore is dead, though. Dumbledore having been the Transfiguration professor, keeping a Phoenix, and his fiery funeral pyre seem to hint at something. Perhaps they're just red herrings.

Ben: J. K. Rowling on 8/2/2006: "You shouldn't expect Dumbledore to do a Gandalf . . . But I see that I need to be a little more explicit and say that Dumbledore is definitely ... dead. And I do know - I do know that there is an entire website out there that says - that's name is DumbledoreIsNotDead.com so umm, I'd imagine they're not pretty happy right now. But I think I need - you need - all of you need to move through the five stages of grief, and I'm just helping you get past denial."

Russell: I don't think it's hard to imagine ways of bringing the various characters together: there will still be a role for the Order of the Phoenix, and I think there's a very good chance that the committed members of the D.A. still have the meeting-calling coins that Hermione gave them. But you're right that we need to see Krum again -- though there may be ways to do that that don't involve making him a teacher. Isn't your scheme a little too dependent on Hogwarts being populated by very young teachers, including one who hasn't even graduated?

Alan--"Isn't your scheme a little too dependent on Hogwarts being populated by very young teachers, including one who hasn't even graduated?"

Only one, really. Harry would clearly be a special case, convinced to come to Hogwarts in order to keep it open. He'll probably consider it worth doing to just to keep Dumbledore's dream alive, and give him access to the people and resources he needs (nice catch, by the way, about the Prince book!); knowing the curse Voldemort placed upon the position, I doubt he imagines that he'll be there more than a year anyway.

As for Krum...well, yeah, he's young. But I think he will be 19 or 20 by now, correct? I guess I'm predicting this move on Rowling's part because 1) she said Krum would come back, and I want him to come back in a big rather than an incidental way, and 2) because she's going to have to come up with a transfiguration teacher, and I believe she's also said that she has no new major characters to introduce. So Krum is a logical choice.

Krum's 21, I think. He was 18 in GoF; graduated after the tri-wizard. That was 3 years ago. And in the magical world, wizards come of age at 17. So, Harry wouldn't really be an underage teacher. Young, yes.

As I was reading this, I wondered if someone in the JK Rowling universe could possibly pop by, and what they'd say to all this...

Please debunk for me, Russell, the gut feeling I've had since the end of HBP that Dumbledore, knowing full well of Draco's mission and Snape's consequent promise, arranged with Snape that he (Snape) would kill Dumbledore in order to save the innocence of Draco. Dumbledore's pleading then is an effort on D.'s part to convince Snape to carry through on their arrangement. The reveal of this might come through Dumbledore's brother.

Now go commune with my friend the Red Hen, and meditate (she's coming up on another site update & there may be some accessibility issues today, but the place is already August Announcement compliant.) In particular, I like her take on Fred & George (psychopaths) and Hogwarts (closed for the duration of Book 7, but helpful.) She was also the first person I saw who conclusively demonstrated that books 2 and 6 are parallel to one another.

Rowling has an interview out there about the kids not coming back to Hogwarts as teachers (it's a fanfiction favorite topic; usually Harry gets DADA, Hermione either Potions or Transfiguration [Potions, with Snape getting DADA, is almost a rule, if it's a "ten years from now" Snape/Hermione romance,] and Neville always, always gets Herbology):

JKR: Erm, well, because all your kids said hello so nicely in the background there, I'm going to give you information I haven't given anyone else, and I will tell you that one of the characters - er - one of - one of Harry's class mates, though it's not Harry himself, does end up a teacher at Hogwarts, but it is not maybe the one you'd think - hint, hint, hint! So, yes one of them does end up staying at Hogwarts, but - erm ...

Aldo, all I can say is that, from the beginning, the idea that Harry is fated to realize that the events on the tower were all planned and anticipated, that Dumbledore's death was--thematically at least in terms Harry's progress--a sideshow, that Snape really is a double-triple agent good guy, has struck me as entirely too pat and emotionally false. It's possible, I admit, but I just don't believe it (and Rowling herself has, while not outright denying it, made some comments to the effect that hoping for a "surprise; I was on your side all along!" reveal in Snape's story may be asking for too much).

Sarah, great to hear from you. I've actually learned much from reading Red Hen's essays in the past (I believe she was the one who actually tried to figure out how much time Hermione had spent with her parents over the past six years, thus opening up my thinking to the possibility that Rowling has had Hermione making choices that set her up for a fall...). As for students returning to Hogwarts as teachers, I'm familiar with the interview clip you include. I think Rowling is talking there about students coming back to Hogwarts permanently, and I agree that it won't be one of the main three. I see Harry as a desperate, temporary substitute, and so doesn't count.

Re: "the truth about Snape." I'm one of those people who belives that Snape and Dumbledore used Legilimancy to communicate with each other on that Tower, and that Snape killed Dumbledore on the latter's orders. But, as Rusell's portrait of Snape, which I find generally compelling, indicates, that wouldn't necessarily make him a "good guy." Like most if not all double agents, Snape is indeed a tormented and divided man, and is effectively only on his own side. Insofar as a double agent ever takes a side in the war he's involved in, that's determined by his final action, and we haven't seen Snape's final action yet. What's interesting about his murder of Dumbledore is that -- and Rusell, I think you missed this in your comment on the scene last year -- the emotions on his face, "hatred and revulsion," reveal his dividness. Revulsion must be revulsion from something, and in this case that can only be revulsion from killing Dumbledore; "hatred" seems more straightfrward, but why does he at that moment hate Dumbledore? Might it not be because Dumbledore is teling him to do something he does not want to do? Presumably we will find out. But in any case Snape is one messed-up dude. I have always assumed that Snape's final action will be somehow a decisive one -- decisively for or against Voldemort, and my money is on against -- but Russell raises the possibility that that final action will itself be ambiguous, like the rest of Snape's life.

Russell, I notice that your scenario, though detailed, actually doesn't get into the core questions of Harry's connection with Voldemort and the means by which he might defeat the Dark Lord. Nothing about Dumbledore's "look of triumph" at the end of Book 4, for instance, or about all the ways that in the books Harry and Voldemort are linked. ("We even look somewhat alike," says Tom Riddle, intriguingly, at the end of Book 2.) Are these matters about which you'd prefer not to guess?

In any case, here's another puzzle, which I've mentioned before. Did Voldemort want Dumbledore dead? If so, why didn't he have Snape do it in the first place? Why explicitly assign it to Draco? I have a feeling that when the Dark Lord hears that Dumbledore is dead, but not by the hand of Draco, he's going to be royally pissed off.

". . . the idea that Harry is fated to realize that the events on the tower were all planned and anticipated, that Dumbledore's death was--thematically at least in terms Harry's progress--a sideshow . . ."

Just out of curiosity, does anyone believe that those events were "planned and anticipated"? Haven't heard that one.

"Revulsion must be revulsion from something, and in this case that can only be revulsion from killing Dumbledore; 'hatred' seems more straightfrward, but why does he at that moment hate Dumbledore? Might it not be because Dumbledore is teling him to do something he does not want to do? Presumably we will find out."

I guess I hadn't thought that the "revulsion" which Rowling placed on Snape's face needed to be understood as a distinct emotion from his "hatred"; I just thought it was another example of Rowling's oft-noted tendency to use many descriptive adjectives and adverbs when only one would do. Still, assuming your reading of the sentence is correct, you may be on to something: Snape was simultaneously hating something/someone, and feeling revulsion towards something/someone. Hmm. More food for thought, Alan.

"I notice that your scenario, though detailed, actually doesn't get into the core questions of Harry's connection with Voldemort and the means by which he might defeat the Dark Lord. Nothing about Dumbledore's 'look of triumph' at the end of Book 4, for instance, or about all the ways that in the books Harry and Voldemort are linked."

I used to have some ideas on this matter, but I've abandoned them. I honestly have no idea. My predictions about Book 7 obviously have mainly to do with the plot set-up and twists and turns and outcomes; the actual "how" of the plot ("how will Harry do it?") is really beyond me. I do think the Horcrux-is-inside-Harry line of thinking is nonsense, though. (I have an old friend who is convinced that Harry is Voldemort, brought through time and reborn through some bizarre virgin birth-type that Lily and James agreed to. He has lots of circumstantial evidence to back him up, but on its face his theory seems utterly goofy, besides not fitting in at all with the tone of Rowling's story. Still, he insists it is the only possible answer: "Only Voldemort can kill Voldemort!" is his mantra.)

"Did Voldemort want Dumbledore dead? If so, why didn't he have Snape do it in the first place? Why explicitly assign it to Draco? I have a feeling that when the Dark Lord hears that Dumbledore is dead, but not by the hand of Draco, he's going to be royally pissed off."

Now that's something I honestly have never thought about. Elaborate a little, Alan; why would Voldemort have needed Draco, and not Snape, to do the deed?

"Just out of curiosity, does anyone believe that those events were 'planned and anticipated'? Haven't heard that one."

By putting things that way, all I mean to say is that, for the "Snape-is-a-good-guy-he-knew-what-he-had-to-do-on-the-tower" theory to work, then Dumbledore had to have known that Snape would very likely end up killing him in order to prevent Draco from doing so while also maintaining his own cover. I don't mean that the whole thing was a set-up; only that the final confrontation between Snape and Dumbledore would have to be understood as having played out along a path they had anticipated. I find that very difficult to believe.

Russell, I have it on good authority that Book 7 will be nothing like that. Harry wants $20 mil just to appear, and JKR's lawyers are playing hardball. We'll be treated to periodic "owl post" from Harry's travels in the Caucusus instead, which will provide crucial clues to solving the mystery of the missing Weasley. Ron isn't handling rehab too well, but Fred has agreed to come back for a one-off prank-filled chapter just after Christmas. As for Hermione, JKR was able to get to mid-book before Hermione started...you know, showing too noticeably to ignore, so right after mid-term grades she's off to the Caucusus to look for her missing friends, too.

Don't worry, though, because Neville is ready for a starring role, and JKR is bringing in a couple of exchange student stand-ins for Year 7: Larry Pitter, a wise-cracking American surfing champ with an attitude, and Sammy, a first-year from Hong Kong who specializes in martial-arts set pieces and humorously stereotyped dialogue. Trust me, it will be fabulous.

I think it's interesting, Russell, that you don't have a clear sense of how the Harry/Voldemort final confrontation is going to come about -- because I don't either. I don't have a clue. And that suggests to me that Rowling has done a very good job of dropping hints where she wants to drop hints and keeping obscured what she wants obscured. So many real mysteries still remain!

“I don't mean that the whole thing was a set-up; only that the final confrontation between Snape and Dumbledore would have to be understood as having played out along a path they had anticipated. I find that *very* difficult to believe.” Yeah, me too. But when Dumbledore figured out that Draco was trying to kill him, he told Snape, and assigned him the task of keeping an eye on Draco; and Snape is the one who very possibly saved Dumbledore’s life when he had the previous encounter with a Horcrux that withered his hand. So it’s likely that Snape and Dumbledore had conversations which involved the *kind* of situation they find themselves in on the tower. They couldn’t have known the details; but it wouldn’t have taken Snape long to scope out the situation -- to see that Dumbledore was even more severely wounded than before, and to see that Draco had the chance to kill the old wizard -- and understand what Dumbledore was asking him to do.

Moreover, it seems *very* important to Dumbledore that Draco not kill him -- and not kill him because Draco *chooses* not to kill him, not because Draco is disarmed or subdued by force. Does anyone really believe that Dumbledore, even dying and wandless, couldn’t disarm Draco if he wished to? And Dumbledore knows that in such a circumstance Harry is far more dangerous to Draco than Draco to Harry: his immobilizing of Harry is *far* more likely to have been for Draco’s protection than Harry’s.

But it seems to have been equally important to Voldemort that Draco *does* kill Dumbledore -- not so much that Dumbledore *be* killed, but that Draco does the deed. If Voldemort’s primary goal is to see Dumbledore dead, he has any number of more efficient means to achieve that. First on the list: Severus Snape. Or any of the Death Eaters, once Draco figured out how to smuggle them into the castle. So whatever Voldemort’s purpose is in making this assignment, it has more to do with Draco than with Dumbledore. But what *is* that purpose? Alas, I have no idea. Narcissa Malfoy thinks the Dark Lord desires both punishment for and revenge on the Malfoy family; I suppose this is possible, but it doesn’t seem plausible. If Narcissa is right, though, then Voldemort in his rage allows Dumbledore longer life -- long enough life to take Harry into the cave where the theft of the locket/Horcrux by R.A.B. could be discovered. And the knowledge Harry gains there may prove vital to the defeat of Voldemort.

Think about this for a sec. What if Voldomort was there to help torchure Neval's parents. That could be marking him. Neval could kill Voldo-dork right as Harry's body crumbles to the ground in a mangeled mess.

Even if Snape's killing Dumbledore turns out to be pretty excusable, I'll be pretty disappointed if Snape doesn't have to make some existential choices in Book 7, choices that he's avoided making till now (and that, per Russell, he might disastrously continue to avoid making). I would also be disappointed if the death turns out to be a sham.

Brock--"Rowling has to outdo the deaths of Black and Dumbledore, and the only way to do that (short of killing Ron or Hermione, which I don't think will happen) is to kill Hagrid."

I don't think so; I see Hagrid as playing the role of a Sam, a truly loyal friend whose greatest trial will be seeing all sorts of people whom he looks up to and even loves suffer adn perhaps even die all around him. And yes, I think that could very well include Harry himself in the end.

Cala--"Going to bet on Charlie Weasley rather than Krum as a new teacher. Right age, right experience, and more likely than the sports superstar from Durmstrang/Soviet Wizard World teaching at Hogwarts."

Nice idea--I'm all in favor of bringing in as many of the Weasely family as possible. But I don't think this will happen. First, there doesn't seem to be any indication that Charlie has a lot of Transfiguration experience; he would make sense as the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, but as much as she likes him, there's no way McGonagall would allow Hagrid to teach any other class at Hogwarts! Krum, by contrast, relied heavily on Transfiguration during his time at Hogwarts, particularly during the second task, so we know he has the skills. Second, and actually I think more importantly, Rowling has said that Krum will return, while Charlie is the one Weasley that Rowling hasn't taken the time to develop at all, having mostly kept him offstage. Given the huge cast she's dealing with, I'm betting that'll continue in Book 7.

Adam--"Even if Snape's killing Dumbledore turns out to be pretty excusable, I'll be pretty disappointed if Snape doesn't have to make some existential choices in Book 7, choices that he's avoided making till now....I would also be disappointed if the death turns out to be a sham."

I agree with both points. My whole argument, going back to my original reading of HBP, for thinking that there's no way Snape can "get out of" what he did to Dumbledore is that, if he does get out of it, then Snape know longer poses a challenge that confronts Harry on a existential level--on the contrary, he is just reduced to a puzzle, and Harry is reduced to a character who is still leaning on Dumbledore (even from the grave!) to show him the way through the puzzles. I would very likely find that enormously disatisfying, and I neither want to believe, nor actually think, that Rowling is telling that kind of story.

“So, want to succumb?”“What?”“I hear everybody’s succumbing. Except that swot Gandalf.”“Well, yes, of course except Dynamite Dick, but what in the name of Feanor’s balls are you on about?”“Succumbing. You know.”“Up until this very instant I thought I did. What do you think it means?”“Well, I mean, you know —” [whispers]“I see. Well, in actual fact, succubi may be involved in certain particular cases, not that I am going to mention names, but I believe you have once again managed to grasp the warg by the wrong end.”“Oh. Want to do it anyway?”“Yeah, bugger this for a game of Rohirrim. Let’s go into the West.”“What’s in the West?”“Vegas, Ithron baby, Vegas.”

I'm putting a dollar down on: Harry IS a horcrux. But even Voldemort doesn't know it yet. And therefore Harry has to die (or lose his powers - cease to be a wizard - or something.) There will be a titanic battle in which Harry is poised to lose, and he seizes victory from the jaws of defeat by embracing defeat. Sacrificing himself in some way.

For the rest ... man, I HAVE forgotten a lot about these books, haven't I? I've got no idea. Obviously we do have to see the inside of Azkaban. And I'll buy Harry as the Dark Arts teacher.

Just so, Jholbo. I'm leaning towards the Harry-horcrux theory because dramatically Harry has to be hurt bad by his victory, because the dramatic force is better if his victory is logically *impossible* without his being hurt, because the tidiest way to accomplish the above is to make him, or part of him, tied into Voldemort's Horcruxes, and because this would also explain some of odd resonance that he has with Voldemort.

The thing is, John and Adam, I've never been able to understand how the whole Harry-is/contains-a-Horcrux thing is even supposed to work, much less how it would fit into the story. A Horcrux is created when a wizard performs some sort of magic so as to contain his split soul, right? So, how could Harry have become a Horcrux? First, Harry wasn't killed, so no murder took place there, and second, Voldemort was blasted into ectoplasm after his killing curse backfired, so how could even have cast the Horcrux spell to contain his split soul from Lily's murder, if that's what he decided to do at the last minute?

Frankly, I expect Harry to discover in Book 7 that Horcruxes are extremely hard and complicated to create; some of the Harry-Horcrux speculation seems to assume that they happen almost automatically whenever a murder takes place, and that can't be the case. (We've been given to understand that Voldemort and his allies have killed a great many people; has Voldemort really only personally killed six?)

Finally, remember that a wizard with a split soul still has at least one part still within their body; otherwise they'd be dead. So if Harry is/has a Horcrux, and has to hurt or kill himself in order to destroy it, we'd still have Lord Voldemort left to deal with. Granted, he'd be killable now...but the way Rowling has set things up, Harry himself has to do the killing. For Harry to perform some great, perhaps deadly sacrifice before the final confrontation just doesn't make sense to me.

I remember thinking this made some sense after reading the last book, Russell. Months later, honestly, I've forgotten exactly why it seemed to make so much sense at the time. (But I accept my own memory that it made sense at the time as a sort of argument from authority.) My biggest reason for thinking so is that, if Harry turned out to have a little Voldemort in him, the connections between them we've seen in several books would be explained. Also, it would allow certain tasty dramatic possibilities. I expect we'll find that killing Harry's parents wasn't some run-of-the-mill killing-his-enemies affair for Voldemort, but part of some elaborate Horcrux creation exercise gone wrong. Only it will turn out it didn't go wrong the way Voldemort now thinks. It made Harry into the Horcrux (whereas something else was supposed to be it). So I'm not assuming that murders create the things automatically. I'm assuming we'll find that there was some elaborate backstory to the night of the murder of Harry's parents that we don't know yet. Feel free to remind me that we know something about the night of the murders that is inconsistent with this.

Obviously the 'Horcrux creation exercise gone wrong' hypothesis would, at the very least, be the start of an explanation of how the boy who lived, lived. Namely,Voldemort was doing something tricky with bits of himself and somehow baby Harry managed to be in the right position to mess it up.

I'm not too concerned with the details of how Harry could become a Horcrux. As Jholbo points out, the outlines are already in place that could be filled in with an explanation, esp. given that the rules of magic are none too rigorously worked out in the HP books.

And I think you're wrong to say that Harry has to kill himself or something *before* the final confrontation. Either Harry has to deal with his status as a horcrux *during* the confrontation, perhaps even finding out that he is a horcrux during the confrontation; or else, after the final confrontation is won, Harry realizes that any victory over Voldemort is only temporary as long as Harry himself is alive so he walks through the veiled curtain in the Ministry of Magic, out of mortality (taking the remnants of Voldemort, incidentally, to the one place he never wanted to go).

"I expect we'll find that killing Harry's parents wasn't some run-of-the-mill killing-his-enemies affair for Voldemort, but part of some elaborate Horcrux creation exercise gone wrong. Only it will turn out it didn't go wrong the way Voldemort now thinks. It made Harry into the Horcrux (whereas something else was supposed to be it)...I'm assuming we'll find that there was some elaborate backstory to the night of the murder of Harry's parents that we don't know yet."

Okay, I have to admit that I think where you're going here is kind of interesting. The first thing that popped into my mind, as I thought why Voldemort would have wanted to murder Harry through an especially complex ritual (which then, according to your argument, backfired spectacularly), was that perhaps Harry and/or something around or about him and his home (which is in Godric's Hollow, remember) is connected with Godric Gryffindor. It's been pretty much guaranteed that two of the Horcruxes are on/in items connected to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw; maybe Harry himself, or some part of him, or something near/connected to him, is the Gryffindor item which Voldemort sought? If so...then I could see your argument working. We could see Rowling as having created a situation in which Harry becomes a Horcrux accidentally because his death was going to be part of Voldemort's creation of his last/greatest Horcrux. Hmmm...

"Obviously the 'Horcrux creation exercise gone wrong' hypothesis would, at the very least, be the start of an explanation of how the boy who lived, lived."

No, here I think you're complicating it a bit much. Harry lived because Lily's love/sacrifice provided him with a level of magical protection that Voldemort did not anticipate, because he's never been interested in exploring the power of love. Dumbledore made that point several times, and Riddle himself admitted to it when Harry told his ghost about it in CoS.

"Either Harry has to deal with his status as a horcrux *during* the confrontation, perhaps even finding out that he is a horcrux during the confrontation; or else, after the final confrontation is won, Harry realizes that any victory over Voldemort is only temporary as long as Harry himself is alive so he walks through the veiled curtain in the Ministry of Magic, out of mortality (taking the remnants of Voldemort, incidentally, to the one place he never wanted to go)."

I don't think so. Dumbledore told us (though of course, maybe he was wrong...) that he doubted Voldemort was aware of the status of his own Horcruxes; he doesn't maintain a "connection" with them in any sense. They are, simply, guarantees that Voldemort himself, the man with the split soul, will not die. So, first, if Harry is/has a Horcrux then he couldn't defeat Voldemort in battle; in the end, at worst, Voldemort would be reduced back to smoke and/or ectoplasm and would slither away. Second, there's no reason to believe that a Horcrux, which appears to have no consciousness or being, could somehow ever "revive" Voldemort. No, while I admit to being intrigued by John Holbo's suggestions, I still think making the Harry-is/has-a-Horcrux concept work as part of the resolution of the story and the final battle would be very problematic to say the least.

I think the final battle will be between Snape and Harry. Voldy dies from a sucker attack by one of his minions who's sick of his attitude. Probably Pettigrew. Then Snape is the big wizard on the block because Voldy and Dumby are gone. Harry is so p'ed off by this that he turns evil from pride and frustration and Snape has to kill him off. Then Snape offs himself from boredom because all the plotting is over.

Harry has said that he won't be going back to school, but I can't see him sticking to that promise for the reasons that R.A...Fox mentions. Within the fiction, there's the fact that Hermione will want to finish school. Metafictionally, while Rowling could bring most of the main characters together outside of Hogwarts, it will be harder to tell a story where Harry and Draco or other non-confirmed potential allies would meet absent Hogwarts.

So Hogwarts will stay open. But Harry won't be a teacher. True, he will be of age. But he won't have graduated from Hogwarts. McGonagall is likely to be Headmaster, and one of her defining characteristics has been an almost fanatical devotion to rules and propriety. I can't imagine her thinking it proper for Harry, essentially a B-C student with one strong subject, to take over a teaching position. Besides, if you need to calm down worried wizarding parents, you don't need Harry as a teacher, just Harry as an enrolled student. So I could see the ministry, and maybe Hermione, pressuring Harry to come back, muttering something about Dumbledore's dream.

I do think that if Hogwarts is open, it will only be open until Christmas, and perhaps with limited (continuing students only?) enrollment. Something will happen -- a battle that kills McGonagall, maybe -- to close the school, because at that point, Harry will learn Whatever His Next Step is (as he takes over Grimmauld Place at the holidays), and the latter half of the book will be the final chase and battle. But I think we'll need Hogwarts as a staging ground to set up an inevitable Harry-Draco confrontation-redemption scenario.

One of the Hogwarts teachers is rumored to be a ghost simply because he didn't realize he died and got up to teach class anyway; surely if Luna wants to stay (and she just might think it's nifty to haunt her old school), she can.

One final thought. There are three common ways for heroes to save the world. The hero can sacrifice himself. The hero can save the world, only to find he has no part in it, like Frodo. Or the hero can save the world, but finding that exactly what he needed to save the world is the very thing that makes him normal and able to join in it. I'm thinking here mostly of the finale of Buffy, where after years of being the Slayer and uniquely burdened with her weighty destiny, to win the battle, Buffy needed to accept help with her burden, and at the end, she isn't special any more, but that's okay, because she's won, and there's all of life to enjoy.

Rowling has been building up (for some value of 'building up') since the very first book, and has mentioned in interviews, that the folly of Voldemort (and maybe now Dumbledore) has been a tendency towards solitude and extreme self-reliance. Almost every time Harry has prevailed it has been due to the help of his friends. Dumbledore's dead, perhaps in part because he never shared his suspicions with the rest of the Order, and I think if Harry grows into an adult in this book, re-evaluating his near-worship of Dumbledore, he'll realize Dumbledore's mistake (or Hermione will realize it for him.)

The prophecy says he is the only one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. It doesn't say he has to do it alone. And I think realizing that is what will save Harry from Frodo's fate. In accepting help, he'll acknowledge that being the Chosen One just means he has a funny scar, that he's an ordinary young man who happens to be a hero, just like everyone else he knows. And surely there's a place for all of them.

JKR has been pretty straight-forward about the books as Christian-themed or even allegorical. There was that great interview in Right Chirstians a few years back. It seems to me the key to Potter interpretation is to figure out who the Christ-figure is. I think it's Dumbledore, not Harry. And whoever it is is dead and has to return. Snape plays the part of Judas, but more the Gnostic Gospel kind. I think your reading of him is basically right (with nods to Tim Burke). Harry buys a closed Hogwarts from the Ministry of Magic and uses it as training ground for a new DA. Luna dead, (hello the moon is always associated with death right?). The bit about Hermione's parents is brilliant. And yeah, the theif is important, but he has to die too, doesn't he?

Cala, I like the way you think. You firm up my continuing belief that Rowling will take us back to Hogwarts in the final book, and that means Harry will have to be there in some sense or another (at least for a little while, as you suggest). Your thoughts about how McGonagall will act as Head of Hogwarts, and what that would mean for Harry's place there, make good sense. I'm sticking by my prediction, just because 1) I can't think of who else could become the DADA teacher, and 2) I think it'd be terrific fun to see Harry take on some ordinary adult responsibility as part of the storyline, but I have to admit that if it works out the way you suggest, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

I also like your suggestion about Luna--obviously, not all ghosts have the same reasons for sticking around! Do you really think a "Harry-Draco confrontation-redemption scenario" is really inevitable? A confrontation, maybe; the redemption I'm not sure about. And very nice thoughts about possible ends for Harry--you're right that Harry's great story-concluding sacrifice might be of his own "specialness" (and the way that suggests him having learned from Dumbledore is particularly intriguing). But I'm going to stick with him buying the farm in one way or another though.

David, it's good to see you around here again! Except I'm going to have to disagree with you; I'm not familiar with the interview you mention, but what I've read suggests that Rowling really doesn't see herself writing a Christian/religious allegory. Certainly not the degree of the stories featuring a Christ figure, anyhow. Dumbledore will not be coming back; of that Rowling has assured us. But Snape as a conflicted, Gnostic Judas...that, I can totally buy.

I didn't really have any serious complaints about your scenario. It's just that I will be annoyed if Harry ends up teaching, because it will be too much like a fan fiction.

As far as Draco's redemption, I think it has to happen, and I think it works well with the theme of Harry growing from a boy wonder into an adult. One of the things we learn as we grow up, after all, is that our middle school sworn enemy was just another kid, not really evil. Not that we end up best friends with the school bully, but chances are he went on to college, got a job, married, pays his taxes, and will smile politely at the high school reunion.

Draco hasn't had that yet. He didn't kill Dumbledore, but I don't think he chose not to kill him.

I couldn't see Draco joining forces with Harry out of service to the Good Guys. But I can see him, perhaps while breaking out his father from Azkaban, assuming the position of Malfoy patriarch, and doing so in a way that if it doesn't require a choice to aid the Good, will require him to renounce evil. Something like stunning a Death Eater to let Harry escape with the locket, or refusing to kill his father. Or saving his mother from Death Eaters, though I like the idea of Draco showing mercy.

The HP universe does, I admit, seem to make a lot of schoolboy alliances. James, Sirius, and Lupin all stayed friends, they still hated Snape (Lupin seemed like the only adult.) But Draco and Harry not falling into that pattern could help show how the wizarding world is changing. Plus, it could help bring Slytherin back into the fold. The Malfoys are a wealthy family.

One element that seems important to notice when thinking about the position of Draco is the fact that his mother, like Harry's, was moved to a desperate act out of love (it has to be love that she's feeling, right?). Also: unlike Voldemort, Malfoy has always worked with and felt friendship towards confederates crabbe and Goyle, always had Pansy Parkinson stroking his hair, etc. - he is connected, not apart.

I think that Dumbledore provided the stark setting for Draco to face the reality of killing him (Dumbledore), while listening to Dumbledore offering mercy, protection, etc., so that Draco could come to the full realization that he (Draco) could not do it, and did not want to do it. Snape ends up doing it (as previously agreed upon w/Dumbledore) and then departs with Malfoy to the world of the Dark Lord, where he can provide continuing protection and guidance to Draco. (Note also that, as Snape departs, he leaves Harry with one last reminder: attend to your Occlumency - you'll need it! Clearly not a taunt, but an instruction.)

Both Draco and Snape will be at least partially redeemed - I just can't see all of the details right now.

Loved reading everyone's predictions! I admit my own are more of just inarticulate feelings, but something caught my attention in HBP: when Dumbledore is having Pensieve time with Harry and asks if Harry's feeling sorry for Voldemort, Harry says no just a bit too quickly, without stopping to think or consider what he's feeling. Wouldn't it be entirely appropriate that, in spite of Voldemort's killing his parents, Harry was still able to somehow sympathise with Voldemort? (To feel love is supposed to be Harry's best talent, to his chagrin.) Voldemort has become evil incarnate in a lot of people's minds, but he started out human like everyone else--and any one of us, given enough power, given enough abuse or even neglect, could become something awesomely destructive.

I think the key to destroying Voldemort will be for Harry to have compassion for the boy who didn't even have his mother's love for a day of his life, and for Voldemort to feel Harry's compassion and be shattered by his need, so long forgotten, to be wanted, loved, and admired. It is the lack of meeting those healthy needs that drove him to seek the kind of power that frightens so many wizards.

Again, not as specific an outcome as some here have listed, but I'm hoping that's how it will turn out, and that JKR will do a better job of delineating it.

I've thought that Harry is a horcrux ever since I first read HBP. The main clues that I can see are as follows:- Voldemort had one horcrux left to create when he went to Godric's Hollow.- The creation of a horcrux requires a murder - Harry's parents had just been murdered.- There is a strange connection between Harry and Voldemort; some of Voldemort's abilities were transferred to Harry and a connection made between them when Voldemort tried to kill Harry- Harry describes this in CoS when it's explained as "Voldemort put a piece of himself into me"

My theory: Voldemort's plan was to use the murder of James Potter to make Harry's dead body his final horcrux, a gruesome trophy of his victory over the one prophecied to defeat him and over destiny itself. The plan backfired when Harry didn't actually die, though Voldemort is probably unaware that Harry still became a horcrux.

This works very well dramatically, because it up the stakes and means that destroying Voldemort is going to be very costly for Harry.

Thematically, I think that it's pretty much a given that Voldemort will in some sense be defeated by love. According to Dumbledore, his great weakness is that he doesn't understand that there are worse things than death; Dumbledore also describes love as a force more wonderful and terrible than death. One of the things that the glimpses into Voldemort's past in HBP seemed to be designed to show was that Voldemort has grown up completely without love. The whole theme of the power of sacrificial love is a very important one in the series so far, and I reckon it's probably the key theme of the series.

So I can see a couple of possibilities. One is that Harry will, on discovering he's a horcrux, believe that he has to kill both himself and Voldemort at the same time to defeat him. He does this, but the power of being willing to lay down his life out of his love for his friends destroys the fragment of Voldemort's soul within him and somehow shielding him so he doesn't actually die. Another theory I have is that Harry will destroy Voldemort by showing some act of love towards him.

Voldemort’s curse hit Harry directly in his green eyes (his mother’s) and was reflected back to Voldemort. Perhaps the curse also deflected off Lily’s eyes as well and the combination was enough. Or perhaps Voldemort loved Lily because she was so kind to him despite all his “evil eccentricities.” When he looked into Harry’s eyes, Voldemort remembered Lily, lost his concentration and accidentally aimed the curse directly at his own reflection. The scar on Harry’s forehead was caused by the injury made when the powerful curse was reflected upward as it reflected back to Voldemort. Voldemort did not die when hit by the curse, because he had already stored parts of his soul as horcruxes. Instead, only his form as it was then was destroyed. Also the curse was weaker because it was reflected. Remember how the basilisk affected Hermione when all she could see was reflection of the creature’s eyes?

Snape is the (grand)son of a Veela. This explains his pallor, his cold heart and his ugliness (sons were ugly, daughter beautiful). Narcissa and her sisters are part Veela and therefore Draco, hence the close ties. (Remember when they visited his house, the quote “Imagine one of ours living like this”) Snape’s father was shouting at his mother because SHE was the evil one. Snape’s boggart is his mother when she becomes ugly like the Veela at the Quidditch match. Snape lived the way he did because he didn’t like his mother’s demands for luxury and rebelled against everything she stood for. Snape did not mean to kill Dumbledore, but was forced to due to his unbreakable vow. He made the vow under a misapprehension – one calculated by Voldemort. Voldemort told Narcissa Draco was to kill Harry. Snape lied to Bella and Narcissa when he said he knew what Voldemort wanted Draco to do. Snape was using occlumency on Narcissa and knew that Draco had to kill someone, but thought it would be Harry. Even Snape could not imagine sending Draco to kill Dumbledore. Voldemort, on the other hand, planned it to the last detail – the unbreakable vow and everything. Voldemort knew Dumbledore was old and vulnerable and knew he would call Snape to help, because Dumbledore trusted Snape absolutely. Under the terms of the unbreakable vow, Snape was trapped and tricked.

There might not be a seventh horcrux, because it was something that Voldemort was planning to get at Godric’s Hollow, using Harry as the needed murder.

Petunia is somehow connected to the orphanage where Tom Riddle grew up. I am also thinking perhaps Lily made a love potion that Petunia stole to lure her husband into marrying her. Could Dumbledore have been “blackmailing” her with that info? Could he have been threatening Petunia with the very prison she knew so much about?

Neville is a gentle, but powerful wizard forced to perform magic with wands that did not choose him. I agree he will become an herbology professor, but think he will eventually become headmaster of Horwarts.

Percy is not himself. He changed when he got Peter Petigrew as a pet. The real Percy might be dead or might die. He might be one of the two deaths that JKR had not planned inititally.

Draco became a werewolf between books five and six. Snape was feeding him the same stuff as Lupin.

One more comment: Could Harry's scar be the last horcrux? There must be something significant to the scar because Dumbledore was afraid to remove it, even though he probably could. (In the first book Minerva suggested removing it and Dumbledore said he didn't know what it would do to the boy.) Also, JKR said the last word of the book is "scar." So if Harry himself doesn't die, perhaps his fame will, along with his scar.

However, here are my main points of difference and hopefully supporting comments!

Harry is one of the horcruxes!Voldemort will end up being his so-called dad - James Potter! I just can't get the old star wars ending out of my head - to hear Voldemort saying Harry I am your father would be a great moment in the books and films! Also remember James Potter’s past – he used the same curse on Snape as a possessed Moody used on Malfoy – a wicked curse used only by baddies who like to show their control over other wizards! If James is good – that was a strange choice of spell!

Note also Harry is told that Snape hates him so much because James Potter saved his life. This doesn’t make a lot of sense unless James is Lord Voldemort and he saved Snape’s life by allowing him to come to Hogwarts and teach with Dumbledore! Then it makes a lot of sense!

Now it gets interesting! The next prediction! I am going to expand on the point above a little more. Why does Dumbledore trust Snape so much!?! Well it’s simple, Snape is Harry's Dad! It would also explain Snape’s loathing of James Potter – after all if he aka Lord Voldemort hadn’t of tried to kill Harry then Harry’s mum wouldn’t of had to give her life to save him and both would be alive!

Further proof of James Potter being bad?: Just look at his best friends: one supposedly betrayed him, the other Sirius has a very rich history in dark magic and Lupin is a werewolf!

Why are Lupin and Sirius friends with Harry if they're bad! Would they not just kill him?This is the key question BUT has a simple answer - how do they know Harry is good! He could be the next dark lord - the sorting hat was unsure and he can talk to snakes – all the tell-tail signs that he could be evil! In the end the comment that makes this clear is (AND WE HAVE HEARD IT MORE THAN ONCE) - "you look exactly like your father BUT you have your mothers eyes" - brilliant - he could be his father, go to the dark side and become the most powerful wizard ever, but the eyes are the window to the soul - and therefore he will be good (like his mother!) - Dumbledore's man through and through!

That leaves us with the ending - and what an ending this would be! Harry squares off against Voldemort and kills him! But Voldemort is still alive whilst Harry is alive - don't forget Harry is the last Horcrux! So it is my guess that one of three people will have to kill Harry - either Snape, Neville or Ginny!

If Snape is indeed his Dad, it will not be him. Neville will not be able to bring himself to kill Harry – but he has shown that he is brave enough to stand up to his friends when Hermione petrifies him. That leaves Ginny – the girl he loves! She knows what has to be done and will be strong enough to carry it out!

I think Malfoy with all his hate built up will see that Snape betrayed the dark lord and will as a final act of revenge kill Snape. As Snape is a much stronger wizard than Malfoy this will be an act of cowardly betrayal such as poisoning him or the killing curse from behind when Snape is not looking!

And the final scene – A happy Harry will be united with his parents - what he saw in the mirror - only Snape will be there instead of James!

Ron and Hermione marry. However, Ron has to win the house cup first!Neville and Ginny end up close friends!

For my prediction to be right the school can't close or at least the students will start the year there! Don't forget Ron (as captain of Griffindore) has to win the Quiditch cup - Hogwarts will stay open! It after all is the nucleus of the wizard world and a place where all other wizards can quickly amass - i'm thinking here of the tri-wizards cup! In dark times it is better to have everyone close together!

Who better to be the next head-master than the smartest witch of her time Hermoine?! Perhaps there will be muggle classes! After all a lot wizards lack logic! And if you look at Snape and Harry (two of the most powerful wizards) both are not pure blood!

I think Dumbledore is dead but i do think he knew Snape was going to kill him - when Harry see's him muttering as they approach the school he assumes he is taking down the enchantments that protect the school. this is not the case, he is actually calling Snape! If i’m not mistaken Harry actually see's Dumbledore in the earlier book in 'one of his favourite places' the top of the astronomy tower! He knew he was going to die – the question is why? Was it a test for Malfoy to see if he was capable of killing? Does Snape have control of him – one of the 3 deadly curses?

I can’t help but feel that Dumbledore has a Horcrux but! It describes Tom Riddle getting older looking, paler and less human looking as he gets more Horcruxes. The HBP describes Dumbledore in the same manner – getting older and frailer! If he does have a Horcrux it is the phoenix or the sorting hat! What about Harry invisibility cloak! Given to Dumbledore by his father? Is there more to that?

On a point made by someone: why did LV want Malfoy to kill Dumbledore. Here's a theory! Not great but an idea none the less.

Maybe there are grades of Horcrux! and depending on how powerful the wizard is that you kill determines how hard (for want of a better word) it is to kill/overcome!

Therefore, LV would not want for example Snape to kill D because he is a more powerful wizard than Malfoy and thus could become more powerful than LV himself! Don't forget LV has no friends and trusts no one!

I fear no matter which side Snape is on he will die! But I am an eternal optimist and I say Snape’s good! Dumbledore did say to Harry he has power he does know of and Harry dismissed it as Love but I think in Snape he has an allay so strong he can’t imagine!

>This is a great point!So I can see a couple of possibilities. One is that Harry will, on discovering he's a horcrux, believe that he has to kill both himself and Voldemort at the same time to defeat him. He does this, but the power of being willing to lay down his life out of his love for his friends destroys the fragment of Voldemort's soul within him and somehow shielding him so he doesn't actually die. Another theory I have is that Harry will destroy Voldemort by showing some act of love towards him.

>My comment:How about Ginny kills Harry (as an act of love).. she has to in order to make Voldemort human! Snape then kills the human Voldemort (then Dumbledore wouldn't have been sacrificed in vein and his death would make perfect sense)!

Now for the smart bit! Because Ginny killed Harry in an act of love (a sacrifice) he might come back to life when Voldemort dies! But this time without the scar and the curse – just a regular wizard!

The students have to go back Hogwarts. I was reading the order of the phoenix last night and in particular the new sorting hats words of advice telling all the students that in times of darkness they all need to be together!

If this is indeed the case – who did he kill? And why is the group called the ordre of the phoenix? Who is the phoenix? Are there any other great wizards better and more powerful than Dumbledore? I think it has to be someone in the photo mad-eye showed Harry! i might have to go back on my prediction that harry's dad is LV! He may actaully be the phoenix!

Lupin has given out a lot of hints that Harry's dad was a really powerful wizard! When he conjures the powerful patronus Lupin says you may have even given you father a run for his money! These are strange words!

I think Harry’s Dad has a massive role to play in the final book and hence he has to travel back to where it all began to assess what really happened!

Does anyone know why Harry is so rich! His parent left him all that money (gold) where did they get it from? Apparently in the original script for the first book the philosophers stone was found in James Potters save at Gringotts! Why did he have it? And why did JKR decide that it had to be taken out of the book? The page in question can be found on her website. It is worth reading, both Ron and Hermione do not portray James Potter in a good light!

A thought just occurred to me! Is the phoenix in Dumbledore’s office the same phoenix that gave its tail feathers for Harry’s and LV wands?!

okay people- here it is my final revisions have been made (had to update some of it because your comments are so good!)

I hope you enjoy!

The book starts with Harry reminiscing and thinking to himself where to start looking for the remaining Horcruxes.

Dumbledore – a reassessment!I think Dumbledore is dead but i do think he knew Snape was going to kill him - when Harry see's him muttering as they approach the school (HBP) he assumes Dumbledore is taking down the enchantments that protect the school. This is not the case, he is actually calling Snape! If i’m not mistaken Harry actually see's Dumbledore earlier in the book in 'one of his favourite places' the top of the astronomy tower! He knew he was going to die – the question is why?

Dumbledore could be an unregistered animungus – the sorting hat and/or the phoenix! The phoenix saves Harry from death in the chamber of secrets by ‘crying’ on his arm!

If this is indeed the case – who did Dumbledore kill? It makes the naming of the order of the phoenix make more sense – like Harry’s DADA classes called Dumbledore’s Army!

The final thought is that the phoenix in Dumbledore’s office is the same phoenix that gave its tail feathers for Harry’s and LV wands? Was this Dumbledore’s master plan – a final act in order to restore balance and rid the world of evil (Lord Voldemort (LV))! Truly Dumbledore was more powerful than anyone could have imagined!

A number of questions still need to be answered such as why did Dumbledore trust Snape so much? To answer these questions he needs to go back and look at the prophecy again.

Understanding the ProphecyI guess this is the key to the book! In order to do this he is going to have to consult a few people. Namely his friends Hermione, Ron (not so much), Luna and off course Prof. Trelawney!

"but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not..."This means LV doesn't know Harry is a Horcrux! So if LV kills Harry (he believes he is the marked one – “the chosen one” – which Snape sneers at (PS)) he in turn makes himself mortal!

"and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..."One has to kill the other! My guess LV kills Harry! Or Harry sacrifices himself to save Ginny – a nice twist on his mum sacrificing herself for Harry! – see later.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal"Now this is the most important bit! Because we all know Harry has a mark, the scar! But, Snape has also been marked the dark lords equal - he after all was a death eater with the mark on his arm! Directly given to him by the dark lord (i would imagine).

He will learn that Snape (and not him) is the chosen one! Although he is marked, it is a false mark, one that Dumbledore knew of and refused to remove when he was a boy because he knew the Dark Lord would assume the marked (chosen) one was Harry (and not Snape) – thus giving him an edge over Voldemort! Again, this was part of Dumbledore’s master plan!

The quest starts to find Snape and find out the truth! First but a little more about Hogwarts!

The School – HogwartsFor my prediction to be right the school can't close or at least the students will start the year there! Don't forget Ron (as captain of Gryffindor) has to win the Quiditch cup (he saw it in the mirror of Erised) - Hogwarts will stay open! It after all is the nucleus of the wizard world and a place where all other wizards can quickly amass - i'm thinking here of the tri-wizards cup! In the order of the phoenix the sorting hats has a new song - words of advice telling all the students/teachers that in times of darkness they all need to be together!

New Teacher?Who better to be a teacher than the smartest witch of her time Hermoine?! Perhaps there will be muggle classes! After all a lot wizards lack logic! And if you look at Snape and Harry (two of the most powerful wizards) both are not pure blood!

Other possibilities include: Neville and Luna!

Harry’s Past!Now that Hogwarts is well protected and his friends are safe Harry has to travel back to his home to find out what happened on the night his parents died!

Firstly he will find his Dad wasn’t there to protect him when he was killed! All he will see is his mother protecting him from… his father!

James Potter – Lord VoldemortLupin has given out a lot of hints that Harry's dad was a really powerful wizard! When Harry conjures the powerful patronus (Prisoner of A.) Lupin tells him that “you may have even given you father a run for his money and that’s saying something!” I think Harry’s Dad has a massive role to play in the final book and hence he has to travel back to where it all began to assess what really happened!

Also remember James Potter’s past – he used the same curse on Snape as a possessed Moody used on Malfoy – a wicked curse used only by baddies who like to show their control over other wizards! If James is good – that was a strange choice of spell!

Note also Harry is told that Snape hates him so much because James Potter saved his (Snape’s) life. This doesn’t make a lot of sense unless James is Lord Voldemort and he saved Snape’s life by allowing him to come to Hogwarts and teach with Dumbledore! Then it makes a lot of sense!

Also, there is the fact that Harry is VERY rich! His parents left him all that money (gold) - where did they get it from? Apparently in the original script for the first book the philosophers stone was found in James Potters save at Gringotts! Why did he have it? And why did JKR decide that it had to be taken out of the book?

His father’s greed will have encapsulated him and the stories of the young tom riddle will actually be his father! This is where he will have to go to his Aunt Petunia to get the full details – possibly using occlumency – as she is not a wizard she will not be able to defend (close her mind to it)! I think she will know why James Potter went bad and what caused it! Was it just greed or was it something else – something Lily did?

Harry is one of LV horcruxes!The wicked curse (scar) is indeed a window to LV soul! Harry carries with him a part of LV. This is evident in the fact in his dreams he can see what LV is doing!

But this can work two ways as we found out by the death of Sirius where LV implanted a ‘dream’ that Sirius was in trouble at the ministry. A setup that caused Sirius his life!

Harry’s next mission, now that he knows the truth, is to find his Dad (LV) and Snape.

The Final Duel(s)Harry is still a weak wizard compared to Snape and LV. The occlumency is the key here. I think Lord Voldemort will trick him into a meeting place where they will duel. Harry will see what he thinks (might even be) Ginny getting killed by LV and will try and do something rash – i.e. try and sacrifice himself for her. In the battle that follows LV will kill Harry. Harry’s death may be more heroic but he will die all the same.

LV will start to become human! He will not know what has happened until he see’s Snape! Snape will explain that Harry was a Horcrux and tell LV Dumbledore’s plan! He will then turn on Voldemort in a final good versus evil battle!

Snape will get his revenge this time and kill the final Horcrux, the one that lies in LV’s body itself.

The EndingSnape will then go onto be the greatest wizard of his time (the chosen one) and be headmaster at his old school and fulfil Dumbledore’s plan.

Ron (head boy) and Hermione (head girl) marry. Ron wins house cup for Griffindore and the Quiditch cup – what he saw in the mirror! He will inherit Harry’s money and they will be rich

Neville and Ginny (who went to the Tri-wizard ball together) end up close friends!

What Dumbledore Overlook?The evil killed off by Voldemort will be replaced. But for the time being balance is restored and Harry finishes as he started a legend!

Alternative Ending:Malfoy with all his hate built up will see that Snape betrayed the dark lord and will as a final act of revenge kill Snape. As Snape is a much stronger wizard than Malfoy this will be an act of cowardly betrayal such as poisoning him or the killing curse from behind!

I am not sure that the school will reopen, but even if it does not, Hogwarts will play a critical role in the last book.

First, I believe the Order of the Phoenix will move its headquarters to Dumbledore's office where he can still lead, albeit from his portrait.

Harry must return to Hogwart's to retrieve his Invisibility Cloak and to gain access to several things such as the Mirror of ERISED, the pensieve, the ghosts, the secret tunnels, the room of requirement, the Half Blood Prince's potions text. He will want to visit Hagrid at least once. And most importantly, he will need to contact the house elves (at least Keacher and Dobby) for help in locating the horcruxes.

The school is also a great place for DA meetings, if they are needed. If the school is closed, we can assume protections are down, so that members can aparate there (most will be of age) or use the Floo network.

Harry will probably take up residence in the Black mansion at some point, although we do not yet know what became of his home in Godric's Hollow.

JKR has confirmed there will be no Quidditch matches. She has also stated that Voldemort and Harry are definitely not related. And she has confirmed that Dumbledore and Harry's parents are most definitely dead and will not be resurrected.

I think Hermione will ultimately become Minister of Magic, based on her political activism vis a vis SPEW.

-anon said:JKR has confirmed there will be no Quidditch matches. She has also stated that Voldemort and Harry are definitely not related. And she has confirmed that Dumbledore and Harry's parents are most definitely dead and will not be resurrected.

-where did you find this information - can you send me a link?

I do think the Snape story is very likely even if his Dad being LV is not!

BUT, my main contention is the Quidditch! I was of the belief that this would be in the final book!

Here are some of the sites you asked for. I remember watching snippets of the interview with JK Rowling on television (CNN I think) shortly after the first book was published. It was during one of these interviews that she said that his parents were definitely dead and would not be resurrected. She did not want to give children the false hope that the dead could return. I am sorry that I cannot provide a website for that interview. I have located some other sites that confirm some of my other statements:

Here are some of the sites you asked for. I remember watching snippets of the interview with JK Rowling on television (CNN I think) shortly after the first book was published. It was during one of these interviews that she said that his parents were definitely dead and would not be resurrected. She did not want to give children the false hope that the dead could return. I am sorry that I cannot provide a website for that interview. I have located some other sites that confirm some of my other statements:

lol - you have given me a lot to ponder - still i don't think his Dad was all good! I will delete the Quidditch section and update the Harry's dad section :-)

Currently reading book 5 again - i will be back tomorrow with a fesh new twist! I think the key lies with how and why James Potter saved Snape.. if we can answer that we will be well on our way to finding out why in turn Voldemort killed James. He obviously didn't want to kill Lily - so why James and Harry and not Lily?

I think he came after Harry because of the prophesy. He wanted to kill Harry and James got in the way defending Harry. The key is why he did not want to kill Lily, and I am positive that secret has somethng to do with those green eyes. Was Lily the only one who was ever kind to him? Was Tom Riddle somehow involved with Lily or Petunia? Did Harry's green eyes remind Voldemort of Lily's? Was Lily's kindness taken as a sign of love??? Perhaps Snape was also in love with Lily and did not realize the prophecy was about her son? Does Snape hate Harry so much because Lily died trying to save him, ergo Harry is responsible for Lily's death? Did Dumbledore believe and trust Snape because he knew Snape would never kill Lily?

O love your predictions to date. Your ending would have been perfect. We just have to get inside JKR's head to see what she is planning and for the most part you seem to be on the right track.

If she herself hadn't thrown in the spoilers, I wouldn't still be questioning everyone;s guesses.

The book starts with Harry reminiscing and thinking to himself where to start looking for the remaining Horcruxes.

Dumbledore – a reassessment!The phoenix in Dumbledore’s office is the same phoenix that gave its tail feathers for Harry’s and LV wands. Dumbledore’s had a master plan – a final act in order to restore balance and rid the world of evil.

A number of questions need to be answered such as why did Dumbledore trust Snape so much? To answer these questions he needs to go back and look at the prophecy again.

Understanding the ProphecyI guess this is the key to the book! In order to do this Harry is going to have to consult a few people. Namely his friends Hermione, Ron, Luna and off course Prof. Trelawney!

"but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not..."This means LV doesn't know Harry is a Horcrux! So if LV kills Harry (he believes he is the marked one – “the chosen one” – which Snape sneers at (PS)) he in turn makes himself mortal!

"and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..."One has to kill the other! My guess LV kills Harry! Or Harry sacrifices himself to save Ginny – a nice twist on his mum sacrificing herself for Harry! – see later.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal"Now this is the most important bit! Because we all know Harry has a mark, the scar! But, Snape has also been marked the dark lords equal - he after all was a death eater with the mark on his arm! Directly given to him by the dark lord (i would imagine).

He will learn that Snape (and not Harry) is the chosen one! Although he is marked, it is a false mark, one that Dumbledore knew of and refused to remove when he was a boy because he knew the Dark Lord would assume the marked (chosen) one was Harry (and not Snape) – thus giving him an edge over Voldemort! Again, this was part of Dumbledore’s master plan!

The quest starts to find Snape and find out the truth! First but a little more about Hogwarts!

The School – HogwartsFor my prediction to be right the school can't close or at least the students will start the year there! It after all is the nucleus of the wizard world and a place where all other wizards can quickly amass - i'm thinking here of the tri-wizards cup! In the order of the phoenix the sorting hats has a new song - words of advice telling all the students/teachers that in times of darkness they all need to be together!

New Teacher?See later – you will love this!

Harry’s Past!Now that Hogwarts is well protected and his friends are safe Harry has to travel back to his home to find out what happened on the night his parents died!

James PotterLupin has given out a lot of hints that Harry's dad was a really powerful wizard! When Harry conjures the powerful patronus (Prisoner of A.) Lupin tells him that “you may have even given your father a run for his money and that’s saying something!” I think Harry’s Dad has a massive role to play in the final book and hence he has to travel back to where it all began to assess what really happened! Note also Harry is told that Snape hates him so much because James Potter saved his (Snape’s) life.

Also, there is the fact that Harry is VERY rich! His parents left him all that money (gold) - where did they get it from? Apparently in the original script for the first book the philosophers stone was found in James Potters save at Gringotts! Why did he have it? And why did JKR decide that it had to be taken out of the book?

This is where he will have to go to his Aunt Petunia to get the full details – possibly using occlumency – as she is not a wizard she will not be able to defend (close her mind) to it!

I think what Harry will find here is that LV sent Snape to have a duel with James Potter for some reason – probably to test who was more powerful! James beat Snape but refused to kill him. On hearing the news LV went to their house (the Potter’s) to kill the whole family – fearing they would try and amass a group of wizards to overpower him!

We all know what happened at that point! What LV didn’t expect was that his killing curse would backfire off Harry.. leading to the fact:

Harry is one of LV horcruxes!The wicked curse (scar) is indeed a window to LV soul! Harry carries with him a part of LV. This is evident in the fact in his dreams he can see what LV is doing! But this curse can work two ways as we found out by the death of Sirius where LV implanted a ‘dream’ that Sirius was in trouble at the ministry. A setup that caused Sirius his life! And when he witnesses Mr W being attacked. Snape warns him in the HBP that he needs to practice his occlumency skills! BUT, who will teach him? This is the great bit – none other than his enemy – MALFOY! Employed by Hogwarts as a teacher! He after all has been getting a lot of lessons (I admit this myself – something has to happen because as things stand this is very unlikely)!

Harry’s next mission, now that he knows the truth, and can protect his mind is to find LV and Snape.

The Final Duel(s)Harry is still a weak wizard compared to Snape and LV. I think Lord Voldemort will trick him into a meeting place where they will duel – probably in Hogwarts where they will have to fight to the death!

One of Harry’s friends (probably Ginny) will intervene to try and help Harry. LV will turn on her and Harry will have to the choice to kill LV or save Ginny! Needless to say he will save Ginny BUT die himself (a nice little role reversal of his mother sacrificing herself for him). LV will start to become human! He will not know what has happened until he see’s Snape! Snape will explain that Harry was a Horcrux and tell LV Dumbledore’s plan! He will then turn on Voldemort in a final good versus evil battle! Snape will get his revenge this time and destroy the final Horcrux, the one that lies in LV’s body itself.

The EndingSnape will then go onto be the greatest wizard of his time and be headmaster at his old school and fulfil Dumbledore’s plan with DD watching him at all times through he phoenix. Ron (head boy) and Hermione (head girl) marry. Neville and Ginny (who went to the Tri-wizard ball together) end up close friends! Harry will join his parents (and Sirius) – what he saw in the mirror of Erised.

Alternative Ending:Malfoy with all his hate built up will see that Snape betrayed the dark lord and will as a final act of revenge kill Snape. As Snape is a much stronger wizard than Malfoy this will be an act of cowardly betrayal such as poisoning him or the killing curse from behind!

I believe Neville's parents will play into the 7th book somehow. I think your right about Harry, he may not die but be brutally injured destroying the final horcrux. Or will he die destroying the final horcrux or destroying voldermort?

Just discovered this thread via a post on Crooked Timber (you may wind up getting a new influx of comments on this already fascinating thread).

I like a lot of your predictions, but I really believe that Snape is basically a good guy. My opinion comes mainly from the fact that I'm pretty convinced that Dumbledore knew about Snape's Unbreakable Vow, and the details of Harry's final chase of Snape, particularly in juxtaposition with Dumbledore's final interactions with Draco and Snape.

I see the two final teacher-student confrontations (Dumbledore vs. Draco and Snape vs. Harry) as similar, in that in both cases the teacher went to great lengths to keep the student from damning himself -- Dumbledore, has has been pointed out here, by attempting to convince Draco to choose of his own accord not to kill him; and Snape by keeping Harry from perfoming any unforgivable curses ("No unforgivable curses for you, Potter!" he screams as he cuts Harry short time & time again, when we know he could use other means to stop Harry from cursing him -- not least using an Unforgivable Curse himself).

I understand the argument that a true betrayal by Snape is necessary to cause Harry to free himself from Dumbledore as a crutch and save the world truly by himself (with the help of his friends). But I think that the absence of Dumbledore from Book 7 will offer plenty of opportunities for Harry to behave independently, without requiring major mistakes on Dumbledore's part. I still believe that Snape & Dumbledore have agreed in principle that if it's a choice between Dumbledore's life and the innocence of a student, saving the student's innocence is the correct choice. I believe that Snape made the Unbreakable Vow, not necessarily with Dumbledore's express encouragement or knowledge, but in the spirit of protecting Draco from himself. In the nature of the Vow, then, he had no choice but to kill Dumbledore at the end. Dumbledore's authentic pleading when Snape appeared in the tower then might have been because he knew Snape, under the influence of the Vow, was going to have to kill him; or it might have been because he hadn't yet completely convinced Draco not to kill him of his own accord -- Snape's killing Dumbledore too soon kept Dumbledore from completely redeeming Draco.

It's still possible that Snape, now hating himself more than he already did for having to kill Dumbledore, may give up completely and become a true Death Eater in the final book; but I still hold out hopes that Snape will show himself to be a good guy in the end.

I am surprised no one has mentioned this: Given Dumbledore's withered arm and failing health, it is plausible that he would have died soon anyway. As such, allowing Snape to kill him made little difference. Snape, however, was unsure that he should do it-- better to die from the unbreakable oath than to live branded as a traitor. Dumbledore pleads with Snape at the end to kill him rather than not to.

This means that Snape is not a horrible villain after all; one theme in all the books is that the people who seem like villains are perhaps not nice but are at least OK. Also, Dumbledore stays dead.

Above you state that Dumbledore is dead. But I think he is still alive. Remeber in the first book on the Chocolate Frog Card? "Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945 . . ."p.102. I think Dumbledore made a horcrux. He put this horcrux in Fawkes, the pheonix who is very loyal to Dumbledore. Fawkes is like the Nagini of Dumbledore. Rowling subtly brings Fawkes in and out of the story. He saved Ginny and Harry's lives, and I believe he will save Dumbledore's life.

You are correct about Harry, he will not die. But I beleive more people will sacrifice their lives for him and his cause(s). Which might cause Harry to grieve again. Hopefully by then he will have matured enough to not have a 5th book catastrophy again.

All of our theories are interesting and very possible, but knowing Rowling all of our theories will be wrong and she will surprise us yet again. But without the surprise, it wouldn't be Harry Potter.

I do agree that DD has a horcrux and it is Fawkes! I believe DD saw the future (probably the centeurs told him) and created a master plan in order to brign down tom riddle!

This started with marking Harry (a falsely marked chosen one!). This plan has been carefully carried out. The pheonix (Fawkes) was used for both wands in order that people who love you could help you when both wands touched. When LV used Harry's blood a connection was created between the two. One that means if Harry dies part of LV soul dies (and visa versa)!

I think DD has planned this all from the start. BUT, he wasn't able to foresee one simple fact when it came down to it Harry would have to kill LV and LV would have to kill Harry - that is if LV believes the phophecy!

DD found it harder and harder to tell Harry the truth and still hasn't - there are bits of Lily's past which he hasn't divulged!

But what is clear is that DD planned the whole thing right to the end. The blood connection measn that (worst case scenario) if LV kills Harry he will be mortal. BUT, if when the two wands meet and Harry is surrounded by all his loved ones (including DD) this overpowers LV then the past of LV within Harry (i.e. the cursed scar) might be killed along with LV leaving Harry alive!

It was siad a while longer that it is unlikely that Harry will become the DADA teacher at Hogwarts, the main reason being McGonagal. It was said that she was too rule based and that it was unlikely that she would let Harry become a teacher as he will have not even graduated and was not the greatest student. She might not think that this would be in the schools best interest.

I agree with R. A. Fox that Harry has a chance of becoming DADA teacher for the following reasons.

1)McGonagal has not always followed the rules in Harry's case. We must remember all the way back to the 1st book when McGonagal witnesses Harry riding a broom stick disobediently in Flying Lessons. McGonagal not only gives Harry no punishments for this, but she also lets Harry onto the team and buys him a broomstick (1st years are not allowed to have their own brooms, remeber). Now, you might say that this was can not be considered here as it's not a very serious rule and McGonagal did say that they really needed a seeker desperately. However, I'm sure that many students would have been qualified to become Griffyndors new seeker, and even though it's not a very serious rule, a rule is a rule.

2) We must also think back to the 2nd book when Harry and Ron fly Ron's Dad's car to school. You have to admit that this is a very serious rule that they broke. It is not only a school rule, but it goes against Ministry law. However, they are not expelled, even after that. If you remember, it was McGonagal's disision whether they were to be expelled or not.

3) There is also the time in book five when Harry is at an interview with Umbridge about his career options. As I remember, McGonagal was present at said interview. When Harry said that he was interested in becoming an auror and Umbridge said that this would be impossible, McGonagal gave Harry her full support, saying that she would be behind him in anything he chose. If she would be behind him in this, why not in becoming a teacher at Hogwarts, especially if this may help the school stay open.

These reasons lead me to believe that there is a chance that Harry can become DADA teacher.

i think harry being a teacher is too obvious! My thougths are that a shift will be made in teaching - to teach the pupils protection against the dark arts.. Moody and Lupin are still about so why let Harry teach DADA?

I think better options would be:Hermione teaching muggle studies - we know that some great wizards lack logic! perhaps this will come in useful?

Neville.. obviously teaching herbology..

Luna being Prof T teaching assistant!

But my favourite by far - MALFOY - after all he has been taught by his aunt in the art of occlumency! Who else could teach this now Snape is away! It is one thing to be able to physically protect yourself but mentally it is another - Neville and Harry will not like this class - but it will save both their lives!

Today as I was washing dishes, I had some time to think more about the new Harry Potter book. It has been rumored that the book's name will be 'Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows'. I think that this gives us a hint that something important will happen in Godric's Hollow while Harry is there. Perhaps even the final battle will tak place there, who know? What do you think?

Niblock, I think that while your idea that Harry was a falsley marked chosen one may be possible, I do not think that this is likely. I don't think that Dumledore would do this to Harry. This would put Harry in too much unnecessary risk throughout his entire life and I don't think that Dumbledore would do this to anyone. I totally believe that Harry is THE chosen one and no one else.

"Does anyone know why Harry is so rich! His parent left him all that money (gold) where did they get it from? Apparently in the original script for the first book the philosophers stone was found in James Potters save at Gringotts! Why did he have it? And why did JKR decide that it had to be taken out of the book? The page in question can be found on her website. It is worth reading, both Ron and Hermione do not portray James Potter in a good light!"

Niblock, do you think that you could give me the link to this site with the page that was taken out of the first book? I would greatly appreciate it!

I read most of the comments left on this site and I have a few points against some of them. I am not trying to insult your ideas just so you know!

For one, James Potter being Lord Voldemort as well as Harry' father. I don't think that this would be possible. We learn in the 2nd book that Tom Riddle (aka Vldemort) was 16 50 years ago. If he was already this old that many years back, then that means he would have been around 54 when Harry was born which is pretty unlikely. Also, if you remember, Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort was Salzar Slytherin's last ancestor. Hence the word last. This means that Harry can not be related to Voldemort in anyway because he can not be related to Salzar Slytherin.

Another, that Harry will be lurred into a battle with Voldemort by dreaming a vision planted in his head by Voldemort which shows Ginny being murdered. The main reason I don't think that this will happen is because JKR has already used that before and she is an inventive enough writer to come up with something new. The only way I can see this happening is that Harry will see this vision and instead of Voldemort purposfully planting it there, it will actually be happening and Harry, thinking it's a trick, will not go.

I have one question about the whole Ron winning the quiditch and house cup. What is this based on? I know that Ron saw this in the mirror of Erised (which is desire backwards which I thought was so amazing lol) but that doesn't mean that it will come true. Dumbledore said that the mirror did not show truth or the future. It would also be impossible for it to be showing the future as Harry saw his parents whom are both dead.

I can not wait until this book comes out, I have so many unanswered questions! There are only 164 more days!!

Don't know where my post ended up, but my guessbefore "Another Guess" was Bill Weasley as the new DADA teacher. I also thought most of the book's action will transpire over the summer and Hogwart's wouldn't open until late in the story - perhaps late fall or after Christmas.

This is a great call... but (and i don't know why) i got the impression that the new teacher would be a student. i think she said that somewhere.. she also said it wouldn't be the obvious one - i guess that to mean Harry - as he has already taught in an unofficial capacity!

The problem with Transfiguration is that that post is already filled by Prof McGon.

Potions could be Moody (but he did say he would only be around for 1 year). Lupin will be DADA teacher - all the old characters have to come back, divination: Prof T, Hagrid: creatures and mayve charlie Weasley..

Still think Malfoy is the man - they will need someone to teach occlumency. This is more important than ever - LV has shown a fondness to torturing ppl - who else could teach this subject?

Niblock, I think that while your idea that Harry was a falsley marked chosen one may be possible, I do not think that this is likely. I don't think that Dumledore would do this to Harry. This would put Harry in too much unnecessary risk throughout his entire life and I don't think that Dumbledore would do this to anyone. I totally believe that Harry is THE chosen one and no one else. ___________________________________

This is very true. But you have to see it from another view point. DD lacks logic. When he made his master plan Harry was a baby and LV demise was 17 years away - sacrificing Harry in order to save the wizarding world seemed to make sense.

p739 OofP -

DD "Do you see Harry? Do u see the flaw in my brilliant plan now? I had fallen into the trap i had forseen, that i had told myself that i could avoid, the i MUST avoid."Harry: "I don't-"DD "I cared about you too much. I cared more for your happiness then knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than MY PLAN, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed. In other words, i acted exactly as LV expects we fools who love to act."

Proof that DD had a master plan. Harry is LV last horcrux. It is my belief that DD implanted the soul within Harry when LV killed his parents but didn't have the heart to follow his master plan through because he loved Harry.

But the genius behind DD plans is getting LV to still believe the phophecy. That way he will nto rest until he tracks Harry down and kills him.

And here's the smart bit: The gleam of triumph from DD means that it doesn't matter who kills who (assuming all horcruxes have been elimiated bar 2) i.e.if LV kills Harry - the horcrux implanted within Harry is terminated and hence LV is mortal and SNAPE (the actual chosen one) will then kill himif Harry kills LV - i.e. he won't kill him but disarm him - the dementors will suck out his soul - then that leaves the final horcrux in harry - all Harry has to do is sacrifice himself and LV is dead.. either way DD's master plan will be realised.

I am going for the second of these two - i think the fate worse than death means the dementors will turn against LV BUT only when Harry has defated him - like the fate of Barty Crouch! Then Snape will be able to extract the final horcrux from Harry!

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

DD says this must mean Harry or Neville. I don't he has told Harry the whole truth! I think Snape is the chosen one - he has been marked by the dark lord too! The key is DD's genius is to get LV to believe that harry was the chosen one. In order to do this Harry and the rest of the wizarding community must belive this too!

DD knows something about Snape that LV doesn't know... but if LV believes Harry is the chosen one he will effectively destroy himself! The bond using Harry's blood when he's regenerated makes the link between the two even stronger! The questions I want answered is what is the link between DD and Snape? I think there is an unbreakable vow in there somewhere becasue DD's trust is too absolute! maybe snape made a vow to lily to protect harry and avenge her death? but i think it is more than that - i thin snape is soemhow related to DD!

bravo,exellent foretelling, but there are a few predictions I see as incorrect. First of all Ginny will not leave Great Britian, I think she will stay at Hogwarts and maby have a Teacher-student relationship with Neville.Other that that i fully agree with Mr. and Mrs. Granger dying, an exellent prediction

Here are the people I think will die even though I don't want most of them to: Snape, Voldemort, Harry, Ginny, Luna Lovegood, Lupin, Wormtail, Dumbledore(if her didn't really die in HBP), Draco Malfoy, Alastor Moody, Aunt Petuna, Hagrid, Collin Creevy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, either Fred or George Weasley, and one of Hermione's parents.

neville will wipe out Bellatrix Lestrange.. with the help of herm, ron and luna - this will eb a sub-plot! harry and snape vs LV will be the main plot.. obviously they will come together at the end - with harry leading DD's army!

Does anyone know the defenite title of the seventh book? I was sure that is was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but my friend heard on the radio that this title was just made up and that the real one is a secret to only be revealed on the release date.

I think the meaning has to do with priori incantum (Spelling?) If I remember correctly, when Harry's wand connected with Voldemort's, Voldemort's was forced to rerun the past klillings in reverse. Harry stopped at his mother and father. If Harry were to reconnect, he would se, in reverse order, everyone that Voldemort killed. With each Horcrux, there was a murder. Harry would need to see the murder connected with the unknown Horcrux to identify what that Horcrux might be. That will probably the time when Harry discovers his scar is the last Horcrux.

I think the meaning has to do with priori incantum (Spelling?) If I remember correctly, when Harry's wand connected with Voldemort's, Voldemort's was forced to rerun the past klillings in reverse. Harry stopped at his mother and father. If Harry were to reconnect, he would se, in reverse order, everyone that Voldemort killed. With each Horcrux, there was a murder. Harry would need to see the murder connected with the unknown Horcrux to identify what that Horcrux might be. That will probably the time when Harry discovers his scar is the last Horcrux.

I like the idea of the prior incantum thing. Thi would defenitely help Harry in finding the last Horcruxes. I think that it would be brilliant if Harry was the last horcruxe, it would make the story have so muh more depth, except I don't know how he would be able to get rid of it without killing himself or someone else killing him then Veldemort.

My feeling is that Harry himself is not the horcrux. It is the scar. Somehow the spell to create the horcrux was intermingled with the avacadavera which was reflected off Harry's green eyes and it created the scar in which the horcrux is buried. I think (hope?) that this whole "Harry has to die" thing turns out to be a teaser which will hold us in suspence until the very last second, when Harry becomes convinced he has to die. Someone, possibly Snape, will throw another avadakadvra at him, with or without his consent and it will once again reflect off those green eyes and destroy not Harry, but only the scar. I am convinced that JKR will always keep us wondering about Snape. She will never truly answer the good guy/bad guy question. She does say on her own site in her diary that there will be lots to talk about and debate after we finsih the seventh book.

hi... i still haven't read each and every comment on here, but what struck me this far is voldemort's not wanting to kill lily potter in the first place. it's out of character! when he enters the potter hideout, he doesn't think a split second about sparing james' life, but he asks lily to get out of the way and let him kill harry. voldemort shouldn't have cared about killing lily or leaving her alive, the death of others isn't a problem to him. wouldn't it have been a lot easier for voldemort to kill both james and lily, before turning against baby harry? sparing lily's life was nonesensical. unless, it hadn't been a special request of snape, in bargain for something else.and secondly, harry couldn't possibly be a horcrux... voldemort wouldn't want him dead, in that case. he'd kill 1/7 of his soul, by killing harry, and thus kill 1/7 of his immortality, and we know immortality is all voldemort ever really cared about.plus, as my sister reminds me, in OoP, when voldemort tries to enter harry's body (or whatever he tries to do, haven't read the book since it was out), he can't stay in it, because there is too much love. and as we know that a horcrux is a seventh of his soul, how could one of them possibly reside long term in harry, full of love as harry is?gabriella (italy)

I lik the comment that was said about how it was odd that Voldemort told Lily Potter to get out of the way so he could kill Harry. This is actually very odd. I've never really paid close attention to this as I was reading the books, but it is odd. As the other wizards in the book have described it, the time when Voldemort was in power was horrible and many people were killed. I dunno, maybe all these people were killed by death eaters, but why would Voldemort care about one little person when he murders others without a second thought?

cant dumbledore be alive...??? i think he drank the polyjhuice potion and he turned into snape...isnt it possible...???whatever...this j.k rowling woman is n very complecated buddy...she can do every thing...even she can kill harry...!!!!!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 _______________________________WOW, this is a very good read - is this her final manuscript? there are a lot of typo's etc but it reads very like her! problem is, it stops early - there is no ending - so i still have a lot of questions! it is going to be a really long book by the looks of it!

Wow. I definately agree with your last statement about Harry. It could be possible that something happens while he is killing Voldemort. I know some who even say the Neville, the other possibility for the prophecy, will have a hand in the death of both wizards. One thing I don't agree with is what you predict will happen to Ginny. I don't think that Harry will be able to prevent her from joining him. She may not begin the journey with him, Ron, and Hermoine, but I think she wil definately find a way to be with him in the end. She is too much like Harry. Perhaps that is why they are so perfect together. She may even be hurt in some way that makes Harry even more determined to finish off the cause of all his pain, Voldemort.FYI:In number seven, you said Snape was a Mudblood. Thats not true. He was a half-blood (he was the Half-Blood Prince).

I do not think Harry will die, he does realize he is the last horcrux towards the end and HE and LV have a final battle and somehow when he kills LV he extracts the Horcrux out of himself because the Horcrux can not live with so much love inside which is probably why a person should not be a Horcrux.Snape is definately evil. I thought that from book 1. Anyone that can be that bad to a student, he was angry be/c he was the fall of the "Dark Lord" Only people who were on LV's side would call him that. Snape will not sacrifice himself, I don't even think Peter will. Snape will probably kill Peter. There is a reason why he is a sneaky rat.As for someone who does magic late in life...Dudders. But I am not sure if he will protect Harry or if the family will kick him out of the house before he is of age. I don't think JKR has it in her to kill HP, RW, or HG. But maybe one or more of the weasleys?I am hoping that Minerva lives, but I think Lupin and Moody may die...Poor Tonks, I really wanted them to hhave a chance...I Cant wait till the book comes out!!HARRY LIVES...LV DIES...SNAPE IS EVIL

It seems to me that Molly Weasley has been called an extremely gifted witch and it seems really likely that she become the new DODA professor adn will bring a different kind of training to the students. First of all as a mother and second of all being female. She will likely face off with Bella . Voldemort cursed the position when he did not get it from Dumbledore so their will be no return DODA profs. I can see Viktor Krum as the new transfigurations Professor. And I also think Neville will play a large part in finding the remaining Horcruxes as will Ginny, Viktor, Hermione, Ron, and Luna. Neville's parents were fabulously talented Aurors and he ahs not lived up to his potential as of yet. Remember his great courage, fearlessness and determination in fighting beyond his training? A lot like Harry. Not to mention his potential to have been the chosen one. I wonder if Voldemort dismissing him and choosing Harry was a mistake. In the last battle I think Harry and Ginny will die as will Snape, Peter, and Voldemort. Remember there will not be a sequel. Cannot wait to read the Book!

Ok. I have a question for anybody that can answer. Why did LV ask lilly potter to stay away so he could kill harry? Ive just read a comment on it and it is true it is completly out of Voldemorts character! SEcond, has anybody hear the theorie that lilly potter is still alive, is a death eater and that voldemorts has a girl named angel. And that harry is gonna fall in love with her. It is completly insane! As for harry being a teacher at Hogwards, I dont think so because :1. He said he would not come back 2.Remember there is only one book left and possibly only 700 pages. I think it would be to long.

I like the Viktor Krum theorie though. It will make a bit of punch with hermione and ron.

I personnaly dont think that Harry is an horcrux but the scar theorie is more likable to happen I think.

I hope Harry dosen't die and that he will finish with ginny.

Can anybody explain me the Dumbledor brothers theorie? I diden't get that one.

I think Snapes is not a good guy but possibily not that bad because there is something we dont know about him. Why did Dumbledore had such confidence in him

Has anybody see the meening of the name of the 7th Harry. THE deadly Hollow... In franch : Les saints mortuaire... You should. Just google harry potter and the deadly hollow and it is the first thing youll see. I am a bit consued about the veil thing. Any explanation please? And also did you know that jk rowling had written the last chapter of harry potter before even biggining the serie but that she changed it recently to kill 2 other people.

As for when she said she would be murdere in her bed if she kills harry.. I dont think it will stop her. Wich I hope she dosen't do because it would be really bad. And for the risk of somebody takin her ideas for a 8th harry potter after her death, just put a copy right or something so nobody stills it.

OK I have a major call to make! Any idea about RAB? Do you have any idea about one person.Could it be someone we saw really briefly or mention and was realy not important. Maby it just sliped from us. Maby it is someone we actually know but under a different name. And because of the letter and abriviation in the mane, this person knew Voldemort and I would guess really well. Also I think as the letter says, he is probably dead so look in your memory for any name with any of the 3 letter because maby we dont know one of the caracùters middle name to.

Your prediction is good. I myself think Draco might die... but it's just a prediction. Who knows. J.K. Rowling may just kill Harry off as I've heard in rumors, because she wouldn't want somebody to pic up the whole Harry series and start a new book would she?

woulden't a person taking on the serie of harry potter would be accuse of copyrighting? If rowlings donsen't kill harry it would a person who would try to continue the storie would have big problems with justive, woulden'he?

On the R.A.B. question. The book seems to centre around trio's - why can't it be 3 peoples names/intials? - i would be surprised if DD was the only one looking for horcruxes. possibly lupin (R), Moody (A - first name), Tonks (A or B), Serius (B) etc were also looking too!

Ît cant be tonks or moody or any one in the order that is RAB because thecnically they are not dead. And also if they knew anything they would have reported to Dumbledore. I think it could maby be a trio though the letter was written at the fisrt person singular. I am most likely to think it is someone whou nkew REALY well voldemort. He knew about the horcruxe, the orphanage, the cave, the lake, the boat, the liquid it the cup were the horcruxe was. Plus he knew what the hircruxe was, that is the lokart, because he remplace it by a fake one he had with him at the moment because he woulden't have return after.

I think RAB is Regulus Black, Sirius' brother who left Voldemort and was then killed a few days later. The locket has something to do with the Black things Harry has inherited and Mundungus was stealing. I think the power of love has to overcome all, and so Harry will choose love/sacrifice to Voldemort's surprise and thus destroy him. The mystery of the Potters' wealth is intriguing. Also, has Ollivander been kidnapped to make wands for the Dark side? His disappearance seems significant. Counting down the days...

First off I'm rigth there with you on the Regalus Black being RAB, it was my first notion too. However, I can see the point of it being three people, but I do not believe, if it were, that it would be three people from the order. I believe the people who reached the cave, one of them has perished, the other will come to the forfront to clarify the story and had depth. I think it is an interesting idea that DD's brother could be RAB's accomplice. It would make a lot of sense.

A childish wish here, although impossible, is that Dumbledore did not pass. however, all indications are there for it. Childish,ok back to business.

Snape: I like your theory on his loving Lilly. It would explain why, he also protected Harry, while loathing him. It was never enough for me that Dumbledore maintained that it was due to the fact that James saved Snape's life. His love for Lilly must have in some sort of way kept him from killing Harry. In their last battle Snape tries to get Harry to attack him, so he can fight back. Do you really think he abstained from killing Harry just b/c Voldemort commanded? I don't think so. He also laughed at Harry for not having the "hate" behind the Killing Curse to make it effective. I wonder if Harry has become hardened enough that he could use it to it's full potential. I personally hope not because he would have lost the innocence and love that Dumbledore held as one of his most advantagious character traits.

As for Hermione, I never even considered her parents, but I think you have a point. They are a vunerable entity in this whole scheme and therefore must pay the price. However, I do not think you give Hermione enough credit. I think she will come back with a vengence from that and show just how scary and powerful she can be. She has not been truely unleashed yet. Her focus still lies too much in her books. The death of her parents could be enough to push her to a sort of mania.

Never thought of Luna as a sacrificial lamb, but you do have a point with her. I actually thought her and Neville would become another pair of sorts, maybe not romantically, but a couple that looked out for each other, which would fit into your theory. I think someone made a good point though, if she goes willingly to her death, she would not become a ghost.

I think that Draco will fall, but he will take people with him. I don't think he will turn on his father, but he will turn on Voldemort, he already did, by not following through.

As for Ginny, I think she has a bigger role to play than to just slink off to America broken hearted. I think she will play a pivotal role in making or breaking Harry. She will either be captured and need rescuing or she will rescue Harry in some perilous situation.

I have been trying to see how Harry would go back to Hogwarts b/c it was inconceivable to me that he should not. Therefore, him becoming the next Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher makes sense. However, with that comes, a terrible fate - one year of commotion and mayhem, which was to be forseen anyway.

Although you make a valid point about the Order breaking up/disbanding. I think it would only be for a short period of time. I think as much as they are protecting Harry, he will save them by making them rally around him and recontructing the Order in a way that will make them stronger than before.

One last thing, I truely hope that Harry's battle with the horcruxes will not leave him like Frodo Baggins, I do not think I could handle it. I have faith in the fact that he will survive and perservere to live a happy life with Ginny. Although, a LOTR ending would pack, as it does, a severe punch.

So... many, many good thoughts about what's to come. Totally agree that Harry is going back to Hogwarts - although I think there might be a Horcrux there. Didn't Voldemort have at very special relationship with his old school?

As for Snape being evil - well it seem to me that Rowlings has made him into one of the most complex charecters in the book. So much background info, from his early childhood to bad teenage days. To uphold the morality of the books he is going to have to prove that you can be a good guy even if you've been treated badly - well maybe at mean, disagreable, bullying good guy, but not truly evil. Besides Dumbledore trusts him, and if we can't trust Dumbledore, we can't trust anybody. Snape and Lily obviously knew each other quite well - sharing a love for potions. But maybe he didn't fall for Lily, but for her sister (okay so the 'what if' is getting at little out of hand)As for Harrys chance of survival - well after all he is The Boy That Lived. So I'm putting my money on alive but scared, and on Rowling foling as all in her usua Machavellian style.

So... many, many good thoughts about what's to come. Totally agree that Harry is going back to Hogwarts - although I think there might be a Horcrux there. Didn't Voldemort have at very special relationship with his old school?

As for Snape being evil - well it seem to me that Rowlings has made him into one of the most complex charecters in the book. So much background info, from his early childhood to bad teenage days. To uphold the morality of the books he is going to have to prove that you can be a good guy even if you've been treated badly - well maybe at mean, disagreable, bullying good guy, but not truly evil. Besides Dumbledore trusts him, and if we can't trust Dumbledore, we can't trust anybody. Snape and Lily obviously knew each other quite well - sharing a love for potions. But maybe he didn't fall for Lily, but for her sister (okay so the 'what if' is getting at little out of hand)As for Harrys chance of survival - well after all he is The Boy That Lived. So I'm putting my money on alive but scared, and on Rowling foling as all in her usua Machavellian style.

OMG!! you have to go to this site http://bakerstsolutions.com/harrypotter/ It has a really great theory for the end of the Harry Potter book and as much as I am hoping that what they say won't happen, it is very good..and could actually happen

Alright, I feel weird posting this on a strangers blog, but this is the most intelligent prediction I've seen so I guess I'll share my thoughts. Here is how Harry Potter will end (according to me, Joseph Campbell, and George Lucas).

In short, Harry will not die, but Voldemort will die because of Snape. Snape is actually good, but Harry won’t learn this until the end, which is too bad because Snape will die too.

Why?

If you read Joseph Campbell’s book The Hero of 1000 Faces, he outlines a story that can be called a “monomyth.” It’s the same story that exists time and time again and we love it every time we hear it. George Lucas wrote Star Wars following Campbell’s research, and J.K. Rawling, being an intelligent woman, knows this story and created it with Harry Potter.

Star Wars vs. Harry Potter:

Hero: Luke vs. Harry

Impossible Task: Defeat the Emperor vs. Defeat the Dark Lord

Sidekick: R2, Han, Chewy, etc. vs. Harmione, Ron, etc.

Wise Counselor: Obi Wan vs. Dumbledore (this character needs to die so the hero can take over)

Adversary: Emperor vs. Voldemort

Talisman: The Force and a light saber vs. magic and a wand

Katabasis: or Descent to the Underworld: The hero visits the “underworld” (of sorts) and comes back stronger, often times with vital knowledge he needs to defeat the adversary. Luke goes to Degoba and meets Yoda vs. Harry going to the underworld (somehow, maybe through the ministry) and meets his Mother and Father. This is a tough trip but the Hero comes back stronger. (Harry actually does this in every book.)

Reward: Peace

Finally, here is my own take on this. The hero never actually completes the task himself. Luke didn’t kill the emperor, Vader did. Frodo didn’t destroy the ring, Golum did. So, in the final showdown, Harry will not kill Voldemort (you never want to see your hero actually kill someone, no matter how terrible they are) but Snape (the Darth Vader of our story) will kill Vodemort as the last thing he does.

A few other details:Harry is not a horcrux because it doesn’t make any sense. Why would Voldemort decide to make a random baby his horcrux when all the others have some significant meaning? Why would he continually attempt to kill Harry if Harry was part of himself?Harry will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. This is his reward. Hogwarts is the only place that ever felt like home for Harry, it makes sense if he gets to stay at home. Plus, who is more qualified?

Harmione and Ron will get together because it has been built up from the beginning. How could they not?

Some other people will probably die. I really like the Harmione’s parents theory. Wormtail will probably die because of Voldemort. Lucius Malfoy will probably end up in Azkaban.

Oh yeah, and wasn't there promise of visiting other wizarding schools in the end of book 4? Is that going to happen?

Was just reading the chapter of HBP where Snape makes the unbreakable vow, and I felt like there was something wrong with the way Snape acted, he was alot more calm and polite, than he usually is. Granted this is the first time we se him having a longer conversation with anyone that is his equal, but still... the way he talks, his expresions he sounds a lot like Dumbledore!If it was really Dumbledore disguised as Snape this would mean that he took the unbreakble vow, to kill himself - he has in fact been under a death sentense throughout the year, and has been trying to show Harry as much as possible before it is to late. He has also been trying to convince Snape, that he must kill him, so that Dumbledores death doesn't mean that Snaps cover i broken. This would also explain why Snape is so upset, when he escaped from Hogwarts. If he is truly on Voldemorts side, then he should be happy and exited about finally being out in the open, but instead he is upset and angry .... as if he had just done something he really, really hated.

Just a random passerby who wants to compliment you on a great post. I especially enjoyed #1 and #2. This may not be how JKR chose to write the story, but the idea works beautifully.

A few quibbles with your other points:

4. I don't think the idea of Pettigrew and Snape meeting on the night of James and Lily's death works logically. In PoA, Snape and Dumbledore are still absolutely convinced that Sirius Black was the traitor. So either Wormtail bluffed Snape with his version of events (unlikely, given Snape's talents), or else Snape was in cahoots with Wormtail, lied to Dumbledore, and was trying to cover up his crimes with his actions in PoA (plausible, but only works in conjunction with the "Snape is an evil Machiavellian mastermind" theory, which I doubt.)

6. I really don't see Aberforth assisting RAB with the locket theft. Why wouldn't he have ever mentioned this to his brother? Kreacher is a more likely accomplice. Aberforth's role in Book 7 may be hinted at by the cover of the deluxe edition, which I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it.

7. I lean toward the theory that Snape was a true double agent who leaned toward Dumbledore's side, but not enough so to sacrifice himself on the tower. He either loved or (bare minimum) was friends with Lily, but he hated and resented James, and I think the conflict between these two sides of himself is sufficient to explain his motives and actions throughout. He's capable of love, which is why Dumbledore trusts him, but he's also driven by hate, vanity, and a thirst for power, which is what lured him to the Death Eaters in the first place.

Snape is going to be valuable to Harry in some way, shape, or form. But if there is a "Gollum" character who will inadvertently save the day (and retroactively justify an act of mercy by the hero) it is more likely to be Wormtail.

I recently read the fourth Harry Potter book and found something quite peculiar. After Harry's ordeal with Voldemort, he is telling Dumbledore what happened. When he reaches the part where Wormtail cut his arma dn took his blood Dumbledore comes to look at it. At this point, Harry thinks that he sees a look of triumph on Dumbledore's face, but in the end thinks he imagined it. Could he have actually seen this? I personally don't think that JKR would mention it if it was not of importance. Maybe Harry mistakened it for triumph when it was something else? Doeas anyone have any ideas about this?

This has indeed been some interesting reading - First of all, I find your argumentation of Harry going to Azkaban to retrieve vital information in his quest of the Horcruxes fantastic. Surely J.K.R. has to take us "new" places (now that Harry is not (regularly anyhow) attending Hogwarts any longer) and why not Azkaban, which we obviously have been introduced to in the 3rd book but also heard of several times since without ever really "experiencing" it.

Concerning the in my opinion 3 major themes of the upcoming book: Is Snape good/evil?, is Dumbledore actually dead? and is Harry a Horcrux/Will he die?, I believe Bill Trandon as well as others on this blog have a point when referring to classical storytelling.

To be honest I am still puzzled about Snape, though likely to think of him as a man in limbo being both good and evil, but when it comes to Dumbledore I am a true romantic. Just as Aslan in C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" returns from the dead and Gandalf too in "LOTR" I believe that Dumbledore has not had his last appearance in this story. He might not be magically brought back to live in the "traditional sense", but Dumbledore being a truly wise man, his former work with Nicolas Flamel experimenting with the frames of life and the fact that he now has a portrait in his former office gives Harry the chance to settle things between them and maybe also to get some hints/information useful when fighting Voldemort and gaining and destroying the remaining Horcruxes.

When it comes to Harry and his scar being a Horcrux I find it most likely to be true. Even if this fan-prediction should turn out to be so I still find that J.K.R's explanation/backing will be interesting and as always creative and complicated with small references and twists.Finally, I find that if Harry is to "survive" he will not lead a happy-family life with Ginny. He has gone through too much, is possibly "torn" by the destruction of the Voldemort-Horcrux-part of him and it just seems wrong to have the main character go through the transformation from being a child and "ordinary" (well, not quite), growing up and fighting the evil to being an adult and happy again. If he lives, he must be scarred forever just like others on this blog have referred to Frodo being after the destruction of the ring/a part of him.

At last, I am very excited to learn what this major plot concerning Lily's green eyes is all about. The Snape-in-love-with-Lily-theory is interesting, but there has to be more to it. She is said to have been excellent at potions, maybe that has something to do with it.

Can't wait for the book to be released even though it means that the story of Harry Potter has come to an end. It has been/Is great experiencing what surely will become a children's classic.Excited as hell, Line

I don't think that the kids will be teachers yet but maybe one of the Weasleys maybe one of the older boys or their mom might do it. I do think that Mundungus being a thief is going to help Harry find at least one of the Horcrux if he doesn't already have at least one.

I do wonder if Harry's ability to speak parseltongue and read Volds mind is because he is one of the Horcrux's. Love will most certainly be important in that case as Dumbledore said.

If thats the case I think Ron Weasley who has been in the shadows of Harry will be the one to finish Voldy off. Or as a twist it will be Neville who Voldy didn't chose. Because if Harry is a horcrux he will need to die prior to Voldy.

I think Pettigrew will pay his debt some how to Harry (maybe find one of the other Horcrux and die trying to help destroy it. The truth that Dumbledore trusted Snape because he tipped them off that Voldy was going after Harry will come out and that Snape was following Dumbledores order to kill him to keep Draco from becoming a murderer will all come out. I think the Potters jobs while alive will finally be told and play an important part of the story because there may still be a missing Horcrux and maybe it is something Voldy stold from them that had to do with their job. This might be pettigrews part in the story. They had to get all that gold some how Right? *Also Dumbledore was not present when Harry arrived at Sirius house and he was the secret keeper so I don't think Pettigrew was around for the Potters murders.

I also don't think JK will finalize everyones futures as suggested because thats the beauty of imagination which is great story telling.

I do believe that one of the Bones family members will make an important appearance maybe they are Harry's relatives or have a missing piece of the story like one of the Horcrux and I do strongly believe that Harry is a true Gryffindor a Great many greats grandson. Or it was Albus. Or it was both and the secret was kept to protect Harry. I can't wait to read and I know it will be as exciting as all of these predictions.

To Jenna I think it is all explained in the 5th book that Dumbledore distants his feelings from Harry so that Voldy won't use Harry to get at Dumbledore and he realized that that was what was going on when Lillys blood protection was then in Voldy.

Same reason that Snape shows hate for Harry so that if Voldy gets in his head all that shows is hate so that he is not compromising himself or Harry. Obviouly Snape would want Voldy to believe Harry a bad student so that he under estimates his abilities.

I do think that Dumbledore was going to be Voldy's last kill using either the hat or the sword for a horcrux, meaning one less horcrux for Harry to find.

Funny would be the Weaslys clock being an important item. How many times that has been mentioned and setting right under their noses although I highly doubt it.

I do wonder what part the pimply bus conductor Stan Shunpike will play because he is with Mundungus in Azkaban and it will be up to Harry wether Mundungus will be prosecuted cause its his things (Sirius) inheritance that were stolen so obviously he will make a deal not to prosecute for the help of finding the horcrux but Harry really wanted Stan freed too.

Also for new book obviously Kreacher will be able to tell Harry that RAB is Regules Alphard Black.

All of you seem very certain that R.A.B. is Sirius' brother, Regulus Black. Well, not only i think that would be to obvious, Rownling has already said that he is not. So, start thinking in some other theories.. i have lots of them.. there were some things noone mentioned. First of all, it will be very important the fact that it was Dumbledore who was keeping James' cloak. Then, in the fourth book, Rowling said that harry seemed to have caught "triumph" in Dumbledore's face. Well, i think that will be extremely important. I also think that that teory of Dumbeldore's brother does not make much sense, with all respect. On the other hand, i think that Luna Lovegood will obviously die, playing an important role, because she did knew something about the veil, in the fifth book. I also think that we can especulate as much as you want, but Rowling will always surprise us with her revelations. (i'm sorry for any mistake, but i'm not very good in English;).

When did JKR say that RAB is not Regulus? I was so sure it had to be him..I mean he's dead like the not says, and he has two of the three initials for sure. Also in OotP they find a "heavy locket" when clean Grimuald place which must be it because when Slytherin's locket is described in teh 6th book it is also said to be a heavy lockey..coincidence?? I think not!

Just 2 days before the book is release! I am very intrigued about the heavy locket found at Grimauld place. I dien't pay attention at the time and dont remember any mention of it.

For all who have seen the 5 movie (that is a must see by the way), I was also intrigued that they cut the discussion of Harry and Dumbledore after Sirius's death. At the same occasion they cut a part of the prophetie reaveling the possibility of Neville being the choosen one. Also it eliminate the fact that Voldemort chooses to kill Harry and considers him like the most dangerous because of his half muggle blood. It seems weird that they cut such an important part. Maby because Neville will not play such a big role in the 7th book.

The 5th movie also resolved the veil mistery wich I could not imagine. And I found weird that in the 5th book it is not mention textualy that Bellatrix Black actualy uses the Avada Kedavra curse to kill black. It is rader said that the curse trows S.B. in the veil. But in the movie the killing curse is clearly applied.

Everything said in the previous books mathers as the end of the serie was written before the rest. Soo things like the triumph in the Dumbledore's eyes to Lily being good in potion could very important. Any clue ca be usefull...

By the way I like the lof Snape being so mean to Harry so that is Voldemort reads Harry's mind he will see hate for Snape.I aslo think that Dumbledore will come back not necessarely alive but I know that this is not the end of Dumbledore. The first thing that makes me think that is that Dumbledore's emblem is the Phoenix witch dies and rebirth from his aches. And I dont think it is a ramdom emblem.

I do not think that Dumbledore has an horcruxe because, not even considering the fact that I do not think he is evil, even if he had an Horcruxe it would not bring him to life again. Dumbledore would have to do as Voldemort in the 4th book to gain back a body.

re #6: I don't think Aberforth could have gone with Regulus to retrieve the locket and leave the phony one, because Dumbledore (our Dumbledore) said that the boat could only carry one wizard. Dumbledore could take Harry with him because he wasn't a full wizard yet. I do agree, though, that Aberforth will play a role in the final book.

re: becoming a ghost: In OotP, Nearly Headless Nick tells Harry that he was afraid of death and that he preferred to stay on the threshold, neither here nor there. And he said that very few wizards choose to stay on earth as ghosts. I personally think Luna would choose to go on. She would want to be reunited with her mother, don't you think? And as mentioned, she doesn't fear death.

Quotes

"Every one of the standards according to which action is condemned demands action. Although the dignity of persons is inevitably violated in action, this dignity would be far less recognized in the world than it is had it not been supported by actions such as the establishment of constitutions and the fighting of wars in defense of human rights. Action must be untruthful, yet religion, science, philosophy, and the arts, the main forms of absolute fidelity to the truth, could not survive were they unsupported by action. Action cannot but be anticommunal in some measure, yet communal relationships would be almost nonexistent without areas of peace and order, which are created by action. We must act hesitantly and regretfully, then, but still we must act."

(Glenn Tinder, The Political Meaning of Christianity: The Prophetic Stance [HarperSanFrancisco, 1991], 215)

"[T]he press was still the last resource of the educated poor who could not be artists and would not be tutors. Any man who was fit for nothing else could write an editorial or a criticism....The press was an inferior pulpit; an anonymous schoolmaster; a cheap boarding-school; but it was still the nearest approach to a career for the literary survivor of a wrecked education."

"Mailer was a Left Conservative. So he had his own point of view. To himself he would suggest that he tried to think in the style of [Karl] Marx in order to attain certain values suggested by Edmund Burke."

(Norman Mailer, The Armies of the Night [The New American Library, 1968], 185)

"All those rely on their hands, and each is skillful at his own craft. / Without them a city would have no inhabitants; no settlers or travellers would come to it. / Yet they are not in demand at public discussions, nor do they attain to high office in the assembly. They do not sit on the judge's bench or understand the decisions of the courts. They cannot expound moral or legal principles and are not ready with maxims. / But they maintain the fabric of this world, and the practice of their craft is their prayer."

(Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 38:31-34, in The Revised English Bible with the Apocrypha [Oxford University Press, 1989])

"The tendency, which is too common in these days, for young men to get a smattering of education and then think themselves unsuited for mechanical or other laborious pursuits is one that should not be allowed to grow up among us...Every one should make it a matter of pride to be a producer, and not a consumer alone."

(Wilford Woodruff, Millennial Star [November 14, 1887], 773)

"We are parts of the world; no one of us is an isolated world-whole. We are human beings, conceived in the body of a mother, and as we stepped into the larger world, we found ourselves immediately knotted to a universe with the thousand bands of our senses, our needs and our drives, from which no speculative reason can separate itself."

"'Business!' cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. 'Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!'"

(Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol [Candlewick Press, 2006], 35)

"The Master said, 'At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning; at thirty, I took my place in society; at forty, I became free of doubts; at fifty, I understood Heaven's Mandate; at sixty, my ear was attuned; and at seventy, I could follow my heart's desires without overstepping the bounds of propriety.'"

"Lack of experience diminishes our power of taking a comprehensive view of the admitted facts. Hence those who dwell in intimate association with nature and its phenomena grow more and more able to formulate, as the foundations of their theories, principles which admit a wide and coherent development: while those whom devotion to abstract discussions has rendered unobservant of the facts are too ready to dogmatize on the basis of a few observations."

"[God] does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasure in it. . . . His ideal is a man who, having worked all day for the good of posterity (if that is his vocation), washes his mind of the whole subject, commits the issue to Heaven, and returns at once to the patience or gratitude demanded by the moment that is passing over him."

"Money is simply a tool. We use money as a proxy for our time and labor--our life energy--to acquire things that we cannot (or care not to) procure or produce with our own hands. Beyond that, it has limited actual utility: you can't eat it; if you bury it in the ground, it will not produce a crop to sustain a family; it would make a lousy roof and a poor blanket. To base our understanding of economy simply on money overlooks all other methods of exchange that can empower communities. Equating an economy only with money assumes there are no other means by which we can provide food for our bellies, a roof over our heads and clothing on our backs."

"A scholar's business is to add to what is known. That is all. But it is capable of giving the very greatest satisfaction, because knowledge is good. It does not have to look good or even sound good or even do good. It is good just by being knowledge. And the only thing that makes it knowledge is that it is true. You can't have too much of it and there is no little too little to be worth having. There is truth and falsehood in a comma."

"I believe in democracy. I accept it. I will faithfully serve and defend it. I believe in it because it appears to me the inevitable consequence of what has gone before it. Democracy asserts the fact the masses are now raised to a higher intelligence than formerly. All our civilization aims at this mark. We want to do what we can to help it. I myself want to see the result. I grant that it is an experiment, but it is the only direction society can take that is worth its taking; the only conception of its duty large enough to satisfy its instincts; the only result that is worth an effort or a risk. Every other possible step is backward, and I do not care to repeat the past. I am glad to see society grapple with issues in which no one can afford to be neutral."